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American Psycho adaptations: books & films
Every version of American Psycho — the books & films, compared across media.
Patrick Bateman — Manhattan investment banker, serial killer, unreliable narrator — is one of fiction's most unsettling creations. Bret Easton Ellis's 1991 novel American Psycho places him at the centre of a first-person confession that blurs murder with corporate ritual and consumer obsession. That premise has since crossed into film twice, each version finding its own angle on violence, ambition, and the psychopathic mask beneath a tailored suit.
American Psycho films
Film
American Psycho
A wealthy New York executive conceals his psychopathic inner life from colleagues as his violent fantasies escalate.
Film
American Psycho II: All American Girl
Criminology student Rachel will do anything — including killing — to secure a teaching-assistant post and launch an FBI career.
American Psycho books
Frequently asked
Is American Psycho based on a book?
Yes. The 2000 film adapts American Psycho, the 1991 novel by Bret Easton Ellis, which follows investment banker Patrick Bateman as he narrates both his corporate life and his violent double existence.
How many versions of American Psycho are there?
There are three: the original 1991 novel American Psycho, the 2000 film adaptation of the same name, and a 2002 follow-up film, American Psycho II: All American Girl, which shifts focus to a new character.
Which American Psycho adaptation should I start with?
The 1991 novel American Psycho is the original source, while the 2000 film of the same name is the direct screen adaptation. American Psycho II: All American Girl is a standalone follow-up with a different protagonist.