With many novels and short stories up his sleeve, some of Bret Easton Ellis’s works have gotten adapted for the screen. However, most never succeeded, except American Psycho, a 2000 movie with a rocky start but rose to become one of the most critically acclaimed movies in pop culture. Starring Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman, Jared Leto as Paul Allen, William Dafoe as Detective Donal Kimball, Reese Witherspoon as Evelyn Richards, and Chloe Sevigny as Jean, American Psycho became a cultural icon.
American Psycho
After the controversial success of ‘American Psycho,’ Lions Gate Films greenlighted a film for the novel. A seven-million-dollar budget got assigned for the project, with Mary Harron as director. Portraying Patrick Bateman was the rookie actor Christian Bale, and years after the film’s release, he learned he was the most disliked person on set. After its release on January 21, 2000, American Psycho garnered controversy for its sadistic intensity. However, the film was a commercial success, making 34 million dollars at the Box Office.
Like the novel, American Psycho follows the story of Patrick Bateman, an investment banker on Wall Street, New York. In an overly materialistic society, Patrick struggles to define himself outside the conscripts of the objects he owns. After meeting Paul Allen, a colleague with a better appearance, Patrick gets angry and invites him for a drink. He gets Paul drunk and brutally murders him with an ax. After Paul’s death, Patrick hunts for more prey. He becomes a serial killer who murders homeless people and some women, Christie and Elizabeth. Unable to contain the intense burden of his actions, Patrick leaves a message for his lawyer confessing to all the crimes committed. However, he learns that Paul Allen is alive.
American Psycho 2
After American Psycho’s success, a second movie got greenlighted by Lion’s Gate. However, the film flopped massively, as it got a 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It was so terrible that Bret Easton Ellis denounced the film, and Mila Kunis expressed regret for starring in it.
American Psycho 2 follows the story of Rachael Newman, a girl who killed Patrick Bateman after he murdered her babysitter. Years later, Rachael attends Washington University as a criminology major. Aspiring to join the FBI, she applies to become a teaching assistant under Starkman. When his secretary, Gertrude, dismisses her application, Rachael follows her home and brutally murders her. She kills many people, including Cassandra, Strakman, and a security guard. When she gets chased by the cops, Rachael drives into a cliff. She reveals herself to Dr. Daniels, who had witnessed her death.
The Rules of Attraction
The Rules of Attraction is a 2002 black-comedy film written and directed by Roger Avary. Based on Bret’s novel of the same name, the film follows the lives of three Camden College students who get entangled in a love triangle. With a four-million-dollar budget, the film grossed about 11.8 million at the Box Office. Following the lives of Sean Bateman, Lauren Hynde, and Paul Denton, The Rules of Attraction is a rollercoaster of emotions as it shows its primary characters’ struggle with love, sex, drugs, and identity.
Less Than Zero
After Bret’s first novel ‘Less Than Zero,’ an adaptation got made by 20th Century Fox two years later. The film follows the life of Clay Easton, a college freshman who returns from school to meet a terrible environment of what he knew. His high school girlfriend, Blair, has become a drug addict sleeping with Julian Wells, his best friend, who became a drug addict after his company failed. With a debt of 50,000 dollars, Julian becomes a prostitute. When he tries to go clean, Rip lures him to a Christmas party for gay men in Palm Springs. Clay arrives to rescue his friend. Though he succeeds, Julian dies from a heart attack.
FAQs
Why did American Psycho 2 fail?
American Psycho 2 was a massive failure because it had no stable plot. The first part focused on Patrick Bateman’s life and how he plunged into chaos due to societal pressure. However, the second part ignored everything about the first and was generic; this made it flop.
What other endeavors did Bret try?
Bret tried becoming a screenwriter. However, he never made a great career out of it, as most of the films he wrote never got released or failed. He tried directing but was hard to work with.
Who is the American Psycho author?
Bret Easton Ellis wrote ‘American Psycho,’ alongside other books like ‘Less Than Zero,’ ‘The Shards,’ ‘Glamora,’ ‘The Rules of Attraction,’ ‘Imperial Bedrooms,’ and ‘The Informers.’
What are some of Bret Easton’s quotes?
Here is one of Brett Easton Ellis’s most memorable quotes -“I’d rather let the fiction speak for itself, and I don’t want to write fiction that tells people how to feel, and I don’t want to be judgmental in the fiction.“
