American Psycho is a classic dark comedy thriller starring Christian Bale in one of his most intense transformations as Patrick Batman, a young professional who also happens to be a serial killer with some rather dark tastes. The film features a phenomenal cast, including Jared Leto as Bateman's business rival Paul Allen, Reese Witherspoon as Bateman's fiancée, and a local detective played by Hollywood legend Willem Dafoe. American Psycho has been subject to universal acclaim for its portrayal of yuppie culture and consumerism, earning a cult following.
While American Psycho has garnered a great deal of attention for its unique content and its portrayal of sociopaths, the ending of the film raises more questions than answers. While fans have come up with innumerable theories about the exact meaning of the ending of the film, it is, to this day, still open to interpretation. Some may enjoy the idea of coming up with theories of their own, others need a little more guidance. Here's our breakdown of the ending of American Psycho.
How American Psycho Ends
At the end of American Psycho, Patrick Bateman calls his lawyer and confesses to murdering dozens of people, including an ex-girlfriend, Paul Allen, and several homeless people without any real reason. The next day, Bateman returns to Paul's apartment to clean up the murderous mess he left there, only to find that the apartment was now up for lease. He then speaks with his lawyer in person and the lawyer tells him it was a funny joke, but gets annoyed when Bateman insists that it is the truth and leaves the conversation alone. In this, Bateman is basically let off scot-free, but he makes it clear that this doesn't give him the catharsis that he craved when he made his confession. After all this, Bateman returns to conversing with his colleagues as if he is not a murdering sociopath and nothing has happened with no consequences whatsoever.
Ending Explained By Director Mary Harron
Over the years, many have sought to explain the ending of the film and who better to ask than director Mary Harron. Harron has clarified that the ending is not meant to imply that the events of the movie all occurred in Patrick Bateman's head as some have theorized. Instead, she and co-writer Guinevere Turner have essentially confirmed that Bateman is a serial killer, but he simply won't be prosecuted in any way for his actions. This is part of the reason why the "it was all a dream" trope took hold as believing that someone could commit such heinous crimes without any punishment whatsoever seems so unrealistic and unbelievable that some audience members find that this is the easiest way to explain the film's events.
Why Does Nobody Take Bateman's Confession Seriously?
Perhaps the biggest question that most have raised about the ending of American Psycho is why nobody takes Patrick's confession seriously. After a night of serial killing, he calls his attorney and leaves a voicemail, which his attorney believes to be a joke and dismisses it as such despite Patrick telling him otherwise. Bateman seeks catharsis only after killing Paul Allen, who was a real person with loved ones and had a life and successful career that rivaled his own. It's safe to assume that Bateman's conscience was finally aware of the atrocities he was committing and wanted him to confess so that he wouldn't have to deal with the guilt on his conscience any longer. The fact that Bateman faces zero consequences for his actions also symbolizes how the wealthy and powerful often get out of crimes they commit because of their standing in society, so the authorities are willing to turn a blind eye.
The Meaning of American Psycho
Overall, American Psycho makes some very strong critiques about the elite, performative allyship, and the contrast between 80s optimism and 90s cynicism. The fact that Patrick committed murder after murder and got away with it speaks greatly about the American elite who are able to, in Patrick's case, literally get away with murder. While the ending may seem to be underwhelming for audiences because Patrick never goes to jail for his crimes, he is still forced to face the guilt of what he's done, being denied the catharsis that he craves so desperately.