The director of American Psycho has called out “Wall Street bros” for missing the “very gay” subtext of the film.
Back in 2000, film enthusiasts were treated to the film adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis’s book of the same name.
Directed by Mary Harron, the movie takes place in 1987 and follows Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale), a handsome and wealthy investment banker obsessed with status, success and his appearance.
The official synopsis adds: “He is also a psychotic killer who murders and dismembers both strangers and acquaintances without provocation and purpose.”
Following its release, American Psycho earned rave reviews for Bale’s dynamic performance, Harron’s directing and its blend of comedy, horror and satire.
Over the last 25 years, the film has remained a mainstay in the pop culture sphere, earning cult classic status among cinephiles for its unapologetic look at toxic masculinity and identity.
However, the continued success of American Psycho has also been a double-edged sword, with some men on social media claiming Patrick Bateman as the ultimate “sigma male.”
In a recent interview with Letterboxd Journal, Harron opened up about the movie’s enduring legacy and its popularity in toxic, male-centred spaces.
“I’m always so mystified by it. I don’t think that Guinevere [Turner, co-screenwriter of the film] and I ever expected it to be embraced by Wall Street bros, at all. That was not our intention. So, did we fail?” she explained.
“I’m not sure why [it happened], because Chrisitan’s very clearly making fun of them… But, people read the Bible and decide that they should go and kill a lot of people. People read The Catcher in the Rye and decide to shoot the president.”
Harron went on to provide further insight into the film’s central message, which the self-proclaimed “sigma males” seem to have missed.
“It was very clear to me and Guinevere, who is gay, that we saw it as a gay man’s satire on masculinity,” she continued.
“[Ellis’] being gay allowed him to see the homoerotic rituals among these alpha males, which is also true in sports, and it’s true in Wall Street, and all these things where men are prizing their extreme competition and elevating their prowess, kind of thing.
“There’s something very, very gay about the way they’re fetishising looks and the gym.“
Towards the end of her statement, the I Shot Andy Warhol director reflected on how society has worsened since the film’s release.
“It was about a predatory society, and now the society is actually, 25 years later, much worse. The rich are much richer, the poor are poorer,“ she explained.
“I would never have imagined that there would be a celebration of racism and white supremacy, which is basically what we have in the White House. I would have never imagined that we would live through that.“
Harron’s interview comes a few months after it was announced that Call Me By Your Name director Luca Guadagnino would be creating his own adaptation of American Psycho, with Austin Butler rumoured to star.
However, in January, Ellis shared his doubts about the project’s legitimacy during an episode of his podcast.
“I have a feeling it’s fake news. I heard somewhere, from someone, that there are no contracts,“ he alleged.
“Austin Butler hasn’t signed anything to play Patrick Bateman. Luca doesn’t have a deal. Scott Burns, who is supposed to write the screenplay, doesn’t have a deal either.”
Ellis went on to claim that, per his various sources, the American Psycho news was only “put out there“ to gauge how audiences would react to the idea.
“If it does exist, I am not involved, I have nothing to do with this. I might get some money if they do this, but I am not involved creatively on any level, and that is all I know,“ he added.
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