Luca Guadagnino’s American Psycho Adaptation: A Question of Timeliness in Film Remakes

Another American Psycho adaptation might feel like overkill, but with Luca Guadagnino at the helm, it could bring a fresh twist to this classic tale.

Another day, another film remake gracing the headlines. This time, it’s Luca Guadagnino, fresh off his critically acclaimed flicks and a penchant for making us question our life decisions, gearing up to take a stab at Bret Easton Ellis’ infamous tome, American Psycho. You remember that one, right? The 2000 version with Christian Bale, who made wearing a suit while wielding an axe look disturbingly chic? Yeah, that film that sent chills down our spine while simultaneously making us obsess over our own sartorial choices.

But here we are, nearly 25 years later, and we’re about to dive headfirst into the bloody waters of yuppie serial-killer chic once more. Is it a dazzling personal choice by Guadagnino, or has Hollywood officially run out of ideas? The answer, as they say, lies somewhere in a pile of discarded scripts and the ashes of originality.

Let’s take a moment to appreciate the audacity of this move. The cinematic world is currently in a frenzy of remakes, with more than 50 studio releases based on films made 30 years or less earlier. It’s like they’re mining our collective nostalgia and then tossing it back at us, slightly shinier but with just as much emotional baggage. And trust me, nobody asked for a fresh coat of paint on Patrick Bateman’s ever-festive red bloodstained walls.

Guadagnino’s Call Me by Your Name had its own shades of darkness, but can he really capture the satirical glee of Ellis’ critique of consumer culture? Or will this be yet another addition to the tragic canon of films that ask, “But why?”

Consider the horror genre—oh, sweet, tortured horror genre. It’s a veritable graveyard of remakes. We’ve seen more iterations of Halloween and Nightmare on Elm Street than we have seen actual Halloweens. And while some might argue that remakes breathe new life into tired stories, you can’t help but wonder if studios are just hoping we’ve all collectively lost the plot.

Let’s not forget the golden rule of Hollywood: if something made a profit once, you can bet your last bag of popcorn they’ll try to squeeze it dry. RoboCop? Yes, please! Judge Dredd? Count me in! The remake gap seems to be rapidly diminishing, and soon, we’ll be handing out Oscars for the best reimagining of remakes.

So, the question lingers: are we eager for another American Psycho? Or are we simply looking for an excuse to dust off our DVD collections, pop some corn, and rewatch the classic? Whatever happens, let’s just hope Guadagnino doesn’t give us a Bateman who’s more about organic kale smoothies than actual carnage. We already have enough folks obsessing over their avocado toast, thank you very much.

As another remake looms on the horizon, the mantra remains: once you go yuppie, you never go back. Unless, of course, you have a storied history of cinematic audacity and a knack for making us question our choices—then all bets are off.


Another day, another unnecessary adaptation—Luca Guadagnino’s take on ‘American Psycho’ is strutting onto the scene like it owns the place, but hasn’t the original already drained enough lifeblood from its source material? Is it too soon for another dip into the shallow end of consumerism and narcissism, or are we just a generation of masochists eager for more blood-soaked commentary? Dive into the fray and let us know your thoughts in the comments below. And if you crave more cinematic gossip, explore our Movie News stories for all the latest revelations.


image source


Movie Critic Blueprint