A modern remake of American Psycho is rumored to be in development, but the original movie is still relevant today, 24 years later, so there’s no need for a remake. American Psycho followed Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale), a psychotic Wall Street banker with murderous desires. Throughout the story, it can be unclear whether Patrick was actually committing murders or if everything happening was simply in his head. By the ending of American Psycho, the main plot points and messages became quite confusing, and the real meaning of American Psycho can be hard to determine.
American Psycho has become a classic movie since its initial release in 2000 for a number of reasons. American Psycho had an incredible cast and interesting characters, which helped propel it to success, but another factor had more influence on its longevity. American Psycho was, and still is, a very controversial movie, and audiences have been dissecting it for over two decades and American Psycho‘s studio, Lionsgate, is rumored to be interested in a remake of the original (via Slash Film). While a remake could add to the story, there’s much more risk to remaking American Psycho than potential reward, and the original should be allowed to stand on its own.
American Psycho Soundtrack: Every Song & When It Plays
American Psycho’s Patrick Bateman might be a walking red flag, but he has quite a diverse taste in music and an exquisite record collection.
American Psycho’s Themes & Message Are Still Just As Relevant Today
American Psycho was set in 1987, and that year was important to the critiques the movie made. The film offered criticism of consumerism, corporate greed, and hyper-masculinity, themes that were especially prevalent in the banking industry in the 1980s. While those themes were prevalent in the 1980s, they still apply to the present day, and American Psycho doesn’t need a modern update. The original American Psycho still offers a biting critique of modern society, and a remake wouldn’t be able to add much to its satire.
Why An American Psycho Remake Is A Bad Idea
One of the major problems with American Psycho is that many viewers missed the critiques it was trying to make. Quite the opposite has happened, in fact, and some viewers have used Patrick’s characterization in the movie as justification for and endorsement of extremist behavior. Remaking American Psycho would only bring those problems back to the forefront, and open a whole new generation up to the same misinterpretations as the original. A remake could potentially give a more overt condemnation of its themes than the original, but there’s simply too much risk of repeating past mistakes.
While a remake of American Psycho is a bad idea, the new rumors do speak to the film’s enduring popularity. To this day, 24 years later, there are still admirers of the original movie hungry for more and ready to cast the next Patrick Bateman. Because of that lasting popularity, a remake of American Psycho would almost certainly be financially successful, but it is difficult to imagine a way in which it would surpass the original in its critiques. American Psycho shouldn’t be remade, it should just be rewatched.
American Psycho
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- Director
- Mary Harron
- Release Date
- April 13, 2000
- Studio(s)
- Lionsgate
- Cast
- Jared Leto , Reese Witherspoon , Chloe Sevigny , Willem Dafoe , Justin Theroux , Christian Bale
