American Psycho- What did and what didnt happen?

[Ill-Yaz]

Rewatched this last night when I found it on netflix

My take is that some of the murders he committed were his imagination but some he did do it

The key for me in determining which ones he did or didn't do is the scene that follows the supposed murder.

If there is some sort of confirmation that he killed someone in the follow up scene then that means he did it.

1) Random lady who he walks with in the night at the start of the movie- I think he did kill her because the next scene is him in the laundry trying to get his bed sheets cleaned that are covered in blood


2) Old guy and dog- I think this is his imagination as there is no follow up on this

3) Paul Allen- This one is a 50/50 to me. Its possible that Patrick killed him because how else would he have got access to his property where he goes to pack Paul's suitcase and then visits frequently afterwards.

On the other hand, the scene where hes dragging Paul's body in his building and leaves a trail of blood seems off. That would have been seen by someone and the cameras would tell where the blood came from. Also why would Patrick who was clearly worried with being investigated still and chill at Paul's place from time to time when that was under police's radar.

4) Model- I think he killed her because the next scene shows Patrick playing with someone's blonde hair

5) Friend and Prostritute- I think this was all in his head. No way hes gonna be committing murders at Paul Allen's place and then chasing that prostitute with the chainsaw in the building. It's too risky. Plus what happened to their bodies afterwards?

6) The final murder rampage- This is most likely all in his head but there is a chance he killed that old lady initially which leads him to start running. The rest of the murders which are the police officers and people in the building did not happen. Him looking at his gun when the cars blow up is a massive hint that it's not real.

Therefore to me, it's likely that he only really killed two or three people in the movie. I'm not gonna talk about the book because I have not read it.

I think some people are too extreme in their interpretation. They either say he did all of it or it was all in his head.

Thoughts?

 

[pickles]

He did it.
If you read the book....

 

[NoMoreWhiteWoman2020]

I thought it was all imagined

 

[Poetical Poltergeist]

I always turn the movie off at the end. Great flick ruined by the "it was all in his head" ambiguous ending. Director regretted this if I remember right.

 

[The_Dread_Dormammu]

Reading the book now

 

[downtheline]

I always assumed it was a mix of booth. There is a couple scenes where Patrick is at a restaurant with his friends, and numerous times there is a reference to an exit sign.

I always took it as some of the murders are completely in his head.

Edit: Forgot to mention, I'm talking about the book

 

[Erratic415]

I think he did some of them. A big part of the Wall Street satire is that everyone is so selfish and self absorbed that they don’t notice it, or care. People dress and act alike that they always get confused with others. Paul Allen thinks Patrick Bateman is Marcus Halberstram, Patrick’s lawyer confuses him with someone else and may have seen Paul Allen in Europe, or just confuses Paul with someone else.

Some of them were most likely his psychosis. The “feed me a cat” thing and that scene that follows.

I’ve heard different quotes from the director. She has said at times it was more ambiguous but I also heard one quote where she said she wished she had made it more clear that Bateman was killing people.

 

[Hagendas]

Film hilarious