Bret Easton Ellis' disturbing novel is brought to the screen by Mary Harron. In 1987, twentysomething Wall Street broker Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale) seems to have it all: he is handsome, successful and engaged to the beautiful Evelyn (Reese Witherspoon). However, Patrick is also engaged in an affair with Courtney Rawlinson (Samantha Mathis) - his colleague's fiancée - and at night indulges in a confused orgy of drugs, pornography, prostitution and murder fantasies. When Patrick is outshone by a rival at a board meeting, he takes out his frustration by knifing a man sleeping rough in the street. This sparks off a descent into violence and madness, with Patrick embarking on a bloody and random killing spree.