The Adaptation Problem

Mary Harron's 2000 film starring Christian Bale solved the adaptation problem by leaning into dark comedy. Bale's performance — narcissistic, sweating through manic monologues about Huey Lewis and the News — became iconic. The film made explicit what the novel implied: Bateman's violence is almost certainly fantasy, which makes his character a commentary rather than a threat. The film's success ironically proved Ellis's point. Bateman became a meme, his quotes decorating the social media profiles of people who missed the satire entirely.