American Psycho credits much of its appeal to Patrick Bateman, the story's central villain-protagonist. Director Mary Harron says the character is really a parody of a real-world archetype, a symptom of social ills; some fans are missing the point and the film's true meaning.

American Psycho's appeal has drastically changed over the years. Speaking to Letterboxd, Harron said the film's polarizing themes initially had a different set of critics. "It got a lot of attacks before it came out," she recalled. "And the book got a lot of attacks by people who never read the book. Not that there isn't a lot of horrific violence in the book, but there's, to me, a clear critique. Not just of masculine behavior; it's a critique of society, of the world of exploitation and consumption and greed and reduction of people. So I'm really delighted that young women have started liking it.