You’ve probably seen the meme. Christian Bale, drenched in blood, a look of ecstatic madness on his face as he swings a silver axe toward Paul Allen’s head. It’s the defining image of millennial cult cinema. But as the credits roll and that strange, haunting synth music fades, almost everyone asks the same thing: American Psycho did he kill anyone or was it all just a really bad case of office-induced psychosis?
Honestly, the answer isn't as simple as a "yes" or "no."
If you ask Bret Easton Ellis, the guy who actually wrote the book back in 1991, he’ll tell you he deliberately left it ambiguous. But the movie? That’s a different beast entirely. Director Mary Harron has gone on record saying she didn't want the "it was all a dream" ending because it feels like a cheat. Yet, the evidence on screen is a total mess of contradictions. We see Patrick Bateman feeding an ATM a kitten. We see a chainsaw chase through an apartment complex that should have brought every NYPD officer in a five-block radius to his door. And yet, nothing.
No sirens. No handcuffs. Just a very expensive lunch at Pierce & Pierce.
The Case for the Reality of the Murders
Let's look at the facts. Bateman is a high-functioning sociopath. He’s obsessed with his skin-care routine, his business cards, and fitting in. The murders represent his only moment of "reality" in a world that is otherwise entirely superficial.
When people ask "did he kill anyone," they usually point to the Paul Allen murder. It’s the catalyst for the whole plot. If Paul Allen didn’t die, the rest of the movie loses its stakes. We see the body. We see the disposal. Later, when Bateman visits Allen's apartment, it’s suspiciously clean—painted stark white and being shown by a real estate agent who seems terrified of Bateman.
Many fans argue that the real estate agent knew.
Think about it. In the high-stakes world of 1980s Manhattan real estate, a double homicide drops property value. The theory goes that the management company simply scrubbed the place, got rid of the bodies, and put it back on the market to protect their investment. It’s the ultimate cynical commentary on the Reagan era: money matters more than human life. If Bateman killed him, the world just didn't care enough to stop him.
Why People Think It Was All in His Head
Then there’s the ending. It’s the reason the question "American Psycho did he kill anyone" is still trending decades later.
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Bateman confesses everything to his lawyer’s voicemail. He’s crying. He’s broken. He thinks his life is over. But when he sees his lawyer in person, the guy laughs it off. He tells Patrick that he just had dinner with Paul Allen in London. Twice.
Is the lawyer lying? Or is Bateman hallucinating?
There is plenty of evidence that Bateman is losing his grip on what’s real. The ATM asking for a cat is a big clue. You also have the police chase where Bateman shoots a car and it explodes like a Michael Bay movie. In real life, a handgun doesn’t turn a sedan into a fireball. Bateman even looks at his gun in confusion after it happens. This suggests that as his mental state deteriorates, his "killings" become more fantastical and less grounded in reality.
Then there's the notebook. Jean, his secretary, finds a journal filled with horrific, detailed drawings of the murders he claims to have committed. For the "it's all a dream" crowd, this is the smoking gun. They argue Patrick is just a lonely, bored yuppie who doodles his violent fantasies to feel alive. He’s a "psycho" in his mind, but a coward in the boardroom.
The "Mistaken Identity" Theory
There is a third option. It’s the one that fits the themes of the book and movie best.
In Bateman’s world, everyone looks the same. They wear the same Valentino suits. They have the same haircuts. They go to the same restaurants. Throughout the movie, people constantly call Patrick by the wrong name. They call him Marcus Halberstram. They call him Davis.
If the lawyer says he had dinner with Paul Allen, he might have just had dinner with another guy in a pinstripe suit who he thought was Paul Allen.
This is the genius of the story. It doesn't matter if Patrick Bateman actually killed anyone because in a society this shallow, people are interchangeable. If Paul Allen is dead, another "Paul Allen" just fills the void at the Dorsia reservation desk. If Bateman is a murderer, no one notices because they’re too busy looking at the font choice on a business card.
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Breaking Down the Evidence
- The Paul Allen Apartment: The real estate agent's reaction suggests a cover-up. She tells Bateman to leave and "don't come back." She doesn't call the police. She just wants to sell the unit.
- The Chainsaw Scene: This is the hardest one to justify as "real." Running naked through a hallway with a buzzing chainsaw without a single neighbor opening their door? It feels like a fever dream.
- The Confession: Harold Carnes, the lawyer, is a buffoon. His denial of the murders isn't necessarily proof they didn't happen; it's proof that he doesn't pay attention to anything.
- The Book vs. The Movie: In the novel, Bateman is a much more unreliable narrator. The violence is more extreme and the breaks from reality are more frequent. The movie tries to bridge the gap between a literal slasher and a psychological character study.
What Bret Easton Ellis and Mary Harron Say
Guinevere Turner, who co-wrote the screenplay, has been pretty vocal about this. She stated that they wanted to show Bateman's descent into madness, but they didn't want to make it a total fantasy. Their intent was that some of the earlier murders—the homeless man, the dog, the girls in the apartment—likely happened.
But by the end? By the time the helicopters are circling? He’s gone.
The film isn't a whodunnit. It’s a "did-he-do-it." And the answer is intentionally frustrating. If we knew for sure he was a killer, he’d be a monster we could categorize. If we knew he was just a dreamer, he’d be a pathetic loser. By keeping it hovering in the middle, the movie forces us to look at the world around him.
The horror isn't just Bateman. It's the fact that he could be killing people and the world is so vapid it wouldn't even register.
Why the Ambiguity Still Matters Today
In 2026, we’re more obsessed with "true crime" and "theories" than ever. We want definitive answers. We want a Wiki page that tells us the exact body count. But American Psycho resists that. It’s a satire of consumerism.
If you’re looking for a definitive "American Psycho did he kill anyone" breakdown, you have to look at the "Mistaken Identity" as the primary theme. Bateman is an empty vessel. He says it himself: "There is an idea of a Patrick Bateman, some kind of abstraction, but there is no real me."
If there is no "real" him, can there be "real" murders?
When he kills the homeless man, Al, in the alley, it’s one of the most grounded scenes in the film. No music. No flashy camera work. Just a man being cruel to someone "lesser" than him. Many critics believe this, and the murder of the prostitute Christie, are real. These are people who don't "exist" in Bateman's social circle, so their disappearance goes unnoticed. Paul Allen, however, is a "somebody." His disappearance creates a ripple, but the system (the real estate market, the lawyers) quickly smooths it over.
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Actionable Takeaways for Fans and Film Students
If you’re analyzing the film for a class or just arguing with friends at a bar, here is how to frame your perspective.
1. Focus on the Real Estate Agent
The scene at the end where Bateman returns to Allen's apartment is the pivot point. Watch her face. She isn't confused; she's defensive. If you believe he killed people, this is your strongest piece of evidence. The "system" cleaned up his mess.
2. Look at the "Wrong Name" Motif
Count how many times someone calls Bateman the wrong name. This supports the theory that even if Paul Allen is dead, people are still "seeing" him because they can't tell these yuppies apart.
3. Analyze the Visual Style
Notice how the movie gets more "cinematic" and "unreal" as it goes on. The early scenes are cold and flat. The later scenes, like the police chase, are heightened and ridiculous. This suggests a transition from reality to hallucination.
4. Consider the Secretary
Jean is the only character who shows genuine emotion. Her finding the notebook is the emotional heart of the movie. Does the notebook represent a confession of deeds done, or a diary of a man who wishes he had the guts to be the monster he feels like inside?
Ultimately, Patrick Bateman remains "unpunished." Whether he’s a mass murderer who got away with it because of his wealth, or a delusional man whose soul is so empty he has to invent a violent persona to feel anything, the result is the same.
He is in pain. He wants to confess. And no one is listening.
That is the real "American Psycho." It’s not a man with an axe; it’s a culture that has replaced morality with a 3:00 PM reservation at a restaurant nobody actually likes. Whether the bodies were real or just ink on a page in a notebook, Bateman is trapped in a hell of his own making, and he’s never getting out.
Next time you watch, don't look for the blood. Look for the way people look past him. That’s where the real answer lies.