- By Aarushi Raina
- Tue, 15 Apr 2025 05:19 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
It's been 25 years since the satirical horror cult classic American Psycho hit theatres, inspired by Bret Easton Ellis's 1991 novel. The film stars Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman, a New York City investment banker with a dark secret, who is a serial killer.
Interestingly, the novel featured Tom Cruise as a part of Bateman's universe, but he didn't appear in the film adaptation. Read on to find out everything about the movie and its connection with Cruise.
The author of the novel, Bret Easton Ellis, intricately wove Tom Cruise into the narrative. In the book, protagonist Patrick Bateman shares an apartment building with Cruise, eliciting both fascination and repulsion. However, Cruise didn't appear in the final film version.
One of the book's funniest moments (which isn’t in the movie)occurs when Patrick Bateman encounters Tom Cruise in the elevator of their apartment building. Bateman awkwardly praises Cruise's performances in "Bartender" and Top Gun, only to be politely corrected: "The film was called Cocktail, not Bartender." This humorous exchange highlights Bateman's cluelessness and social awkwardness.
In a recent interview with Letterboxd, Mary Harron revealed how Christian Bale found a piece of inspiration from Tom Cruise. She recalled, “He (Bale) called me at one point and said, ‘I saw Tom Cruise on a talk show last night, and there was something about that friendliness, with almost nothing behind the eyes."
She also talked about why Tom Cruise didnt make it the film version. Harron added,
“We love the Tom Cruise thing, but we would never have gotten Tom Cruise to be in such a heinous production as American Psycho!”
About American Psycho
Marry Harron directorial made its debut in theatres in the United States on April 14, 2000. The film which also starred Willem Dafoe, Jared Leto, Josh Lucas, Chloë Sevigny, Samantha Mathis, Cara Seymour, Justin Theroux, and Reese Witherspoon in key roles. The film which was a blend of horror and black comedy, received positive reception on its release and Christian Bale was praised for his performance.
