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18 comments
2 comments
Rank This Matchup or Comment/Reply Below
on 7/10/2009
A match-up of mind-warping Bale movies. Both are great films. American Psycho gets a good amount of attention, but no one seems to like the Machinist like I do. It wins here, but not by much.
I like your hair. How do you achieve that cat look?
I don't think Scrabble will be the death of us dear. It will be Flickchart. How dare you pick Machinist over American Psycho?! "Stupid bitchy!"
on 7/11/2009
Both of these are tremendous performances by Bale and if I had to choose which one to watch right now, it would be American Psycho. It has been in my top 20 for about 30,000 rankings or more.
on 7/14/2009
I was disapointed by American Psycho (so sue me) but it's still a better film than The Machinist. Bale is great in both of them though.
I had to think for a moment to figure out why these were paired... Bale is just that good at blending into his characters. But judged as films, "American Psycho" is way, way more interesting. Come to think, "The Machinist" is practically a class-inverted remake...
on 9/19/2009
I am appalled at how American Psycho is handling The Machinist. American Psycho is like a terribly watered down version of the brilliance that is Dexter, while The Machinist is a veritable classic that is all the better, in my eyes, for what Bale did to prepare for the role.
on 11/18/2009
american psycho is a watered down dexter? the machinist is lost highway with a spoonfed ending.
on 2/4/2010
In 2000, Mary Harron released this: her most accomplished film to date. I think it's an undisputed masterpiece, with scenes so memorable, most people probably don't get the anti-consumerist subtext. But they should, because it's not just a film about murder, it's also frikkin' hilarious!
on 8/5/2011
I love the Machinist but I love American Psycho a lot more, and Christian Bale is just hauntingly good in it.
on 8/6/2011
When I first watched each I would have gone with the Machinist. But over time, I've realized it's actually a fairly bland film if you take away Bale's fantastic performance. American Psycho is a film that really sticks with you and on top of that you get an even better performance from Bale. Neither are perfect or masterpieces. But I think I'd definitely prefer to see American Psycho again.
on 11/30/2011
American Psycho is nothing like Dexter, lol. And this season of Dexter is far from brilliant. Anyway, between these two films I'm going with American Psycho; I found it more compelling.
on 12/23/2011
I'm going with the "Terribly watered down version of the brilliance that is Dexter" here.
Dexter? Hell naw, happy camper.
on 4/28/2015
Two Bale films except one is a million times better than the other. Do you like Huey Lewis and the News?
on 1/13/2017
Bale is better in The Machinist, but Psycho is the better movie.
Both are such unique movies. Bale is so good in the machinist, and it is probably the best example of what insomnia is like. American psycho is one of those quotable movies that never be forgotten. With all that being said... the list is never wrong...
American Psycho gets my nod....
on 9/21/2017
The Machinst has a very satisfying twist but American Psycho is so much more complex, quoatable, better directed, better acted and, overall, it's a more interesting movie! And I love the 1980s feel to AP, also!
on 7/15/2018
Best actor of his generation. 'Nuff said.
Bale is priceless in American Psycho. American Psycho is the memorable film here.
on 10/8/2018
There's definitely a Dostoyevsky link between these Christian Bale cult classics: A copy of 'The Idiot' can be seen in The Machinist, and American Psycho the novel begins with the opening disclaimer in 'Notes from Underground'. Both movies are tremendous, but American Psycho has become the definitive statement on why the late 80s sucked.
on 11/19/2021
American Psycho is the better film, but one cannot just throw The Machinist out as a bad film when it certainly has a place within the same kind of psychological drama genre. Dare I say that Christian Bales' performance in The Machinist was better than the role he reprised in American Psycho. But overcoming a slower pace that was dragged down by a script that included confusing plot holes just wasn't in the cards when comparing these two films.
