American Psycho
It's the late 1980s. Twenty-seven year old Wall Streeter Patrick Bateman travels among a closed network of the proverbial beautiful people, that closed network in only they able to allow others like themselves in in a feeling of superiority. Patrick has a routinized morning regimen to maintain his appearance of attractiveness and fitness. He, like those in his network, are vain, narcissistic, egomaniacal and competitive, always having to one up everyone else in that presentation of oneself, but he, unlike the others, realizes that, for himself, all of these are masks to hide what is truly underneath, someone/something inhuman in nature. In other words, he is comprised of a shell resembling a human that contains only greed and disgust, greed in wanting what others may have, and disgust for those who do not meet his expectations and for himself in not being the first or the best. That disgust ends up manifesting itself in wanting to rid the world of those people, he not seeing them as people but only of those characteristics he wants to rid.
Despite its modest budget of $7.0M, American Psycho became a box office success, earning $34.3M worldwide—a 390% return. The film's bold vision attracted moviegoers, illustrating how strong storytelling can transcend budget limitations.
7 wins & 11 nominations
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
American Psycho (2000) reveals carefully calibrated narrative design, characteristic of Mary Harron's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 42 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.0, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Patrick Bateman
Jean
Timothy Bryce
Evelyn Williams
Paul Allen
Donald Kimball
Courtney Rawlinson
Luis Carruthers
Main Cast & Characters
Patrick Bateman
Played by Christian Bale
A wealthy investment banker consumed by materialism, status obsession, and homicidal fantasies in 1980s Manhattan.
Jean
Played by Chloe Sevigny
Bateman's caring secretary who harbors romantic feelings for him despite his cold demeanor.
Timothy Bryce
Played by Justin Theroux
Bateman's competitive colleague and friend, equally obsessed with status and appearances.
Evelyn Williams
Played by Reese Witherspoon
Bateman's superficial fiancée, more concerned with social status than genuine connection.
Paul Allen
Played by Jared Leto
A rival banker whose superior business card and reservations trigger Bateman's murderous envy.
Donald Kimball
Played by Willem Dafoe
A private detective investigating Paul Allen's disappearance, increasingly suspicious of Bateman.
Courtney Rawlinson
Played by Samantha Mathis
Luis Carruthers' girlfriend who has an affair with Bateman, trapped in shallow social circles.
Luis Carruthers
Played by Matt Ross
A closeted colleague who has romantic feelings for Bateman, misinterpreting his aggression as attraction.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Patrick Bateman delivers his detached opening monologue about his morning skincare routine, establishing his obsessive superficiality and emotional emptiness in his high-status Wall Street existence.. The analysis reveals that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 13 minutes when Paul Allen produces his superior business card with "subtle off-white coloring" and "tasteful thickness," triggering Patrick's intense jealousy and rage. This status defeat ignites his violent impulses.. At 13% through the film, this Disruption is delayed, allowing extended setup of the story world. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 26 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This indicates the protagonist's commitment to Patrick commits his first on-screen murder, killing Paul Allen with an axe while discussing Huey Lewis and the News. He actively chooses to cross into becoming a serial killer, leaving his "normal" life behind., moving from reaction to action.
At 52 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 51% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Significantly, this crucial beat Detective Kimball questions Patrick about Paul Allen's disappearance. The stakes raise as Patrick realizes he might be caught, though the detective's incompetence (he mistakes Patrick for someone else) reveals the false defeat - no one can actually see him., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 78 minutes (76% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Patrick's rampage spirals into chaos - he shoots a woman in public, causes a police shootout, and kills multiple people. He shoots a janitor and blows up police cars. His carefully controlled double life completely collapses into bloody mayhem., reveals the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 83 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 81% of the runtime. Patrick returns to Paul Allen's apartment expecting to find evidence of his crimes, but discovers it perfectly cleaned and listed for sale. A realtor warns him to leave. He realizes his murders may have never mattered - or never happened., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
American Psycho's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs systematic plot point analysis that identifies crucial turning points. By mapping American Psycho against these established plot points, we can identify how Mary Harron utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish American Psycho within the crime genre.
Comparative Analysis
Additional crime films include The Bad Guys, Batman Forever and 12 Rounds.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Patrick Bateman delivers his detached opening monologue about his morning skincare routine, establishing his obsessive superficiality and emotional emptiness in his high-status Wall Street existence.
Theme
At dinner, Timothy Price rants that their generation has no real problems or depth, only style over substance - "We have to end apartheid for one, and slow down the nuclear arms race... but we can't even get a proper reservation at Dorsia."
Worldbuilding
Introduction to Patrick's shallow world of status-obsessed Wall Street executives who care only about business cards, reservations, and appearances. Patrick pursues secretary Jean while dating Evelyn. Everyone is interchangeable and misidentifies each other constantly.
Disruption
Paul Allen produces his superior business card with "subtle off-white coloring" and "tasteful thickness," triggering Patrick's intense jealousy and rage. This status defeat ignites his violent impulses.
Resistance
Patrick's murderous urges escalate as he prowls the city. He debates giving in to his violent fantasies, attempting to maintain his mask of sanity while his inner darkness grows. He picks up a sex worker and begins his double life.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Patrick commits his first on-screen murder, killing Paul Allen with an axe while discussing Huey Lewis and the News. He actively chooses to cross into becoming a serial killer, leaving his "normal" life behind.
Mirror World
Jean, Patrick's secretary, represents genuine human connection and feeling - everything Patrick lacks. She shows real affection for him, offering an alternative to his hollow existence, though he cannot reciprocate authentically.
Premise
Patrick fully explores his dual existence as businessman and murderer. He disposes of Paul Allen's body, continues killing, maintains elaborate alibis, and revels in detailed discussions of pop music before executions. The dark comedy of his undetected murders plays out.
Midpoint
Detective Kimball questions Patrick about Paul Allen's disappearance. The stakes raise as Patrick realizes he might be caught, though the detective's incompetence (he mistakes Patrick for someone else) reveals the false defeat - no one can actually see him.
Opposition
Patrick's murders escalate in violence and frequency as paranoia builds. He kills more viciously, including sex workers and a colleague. His mask slips further while those around him remain oblivious, deepening his isolation and rage at being invisible.
Collapse
Patrick's rampage spirals into chaos - he shoots a woman in public, causes a police shootout, and kills multiple people. He shoots a janitor and blows up police cars. His carefully controlled double life completely collapses into bloody mayhem.
Crisis
In his apartment surrounded by corpses, Patrick leaves a detailed confession on his lawyer's answering machine, desperately trying to make someone acknowledge his actions and his existence. He sits in existential darkness, finally admitting the truth of what he's done.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Patrick returns to Paul Allen's apartment expecting to find evidence of his crimes, but discovers it perfectly cleaned and listed for sale. A realtor warns him to leave. He realizes his murders may have never mattered - or never happened.
Synthesis
At a bar, Patrick's lawyer dismisses the confession as a joke and claims he had dinner with Paul Allen in London. Colleagues continue misidentifying each other. Patrick realizes with horror that he's so interchangeable, so invisible, that even his murders don't register as real.
Transformation
Patrick sits with his colleagues, delivering a final monologue: "This confession has meant nothing." He remains trapped in his empty existence, unchanged and unseen. His hollow eyes reveal he's learned nothing - there is no catharsis, no transformation, no escape.