Star Treks: Christian Bale

"American Psycho" (2000)

If there was any doubt, Bale asserted his status as a major actor with a star turn in director Mary Harron's bold adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis' controversial novel about a prototypical narcisstic 1980s yuppie who's also a twisted serial killer. Harron fought to make the film with Bale and actually left the project when it looked like Leonardo DiCaprio would play the lead role, Patrick Bateman. Fortunately, fate intervened and Bale delivered a chilling, hilarious and instantly classic performance that should've earned him an Oscar nomination.