10 Times Horror Movie Villains Chose Not To Be Evil

6. Bateman Spares Jean - American Psycho

American Psycho
Lionsgate

Narcissistic stockbroker Patrick Bateman is balls-to-the-wall crazy, as shown by him chasing prostitutes with a chainsaw, chopping up vagrants on the street, and his closets overflowing with corpses and dismembered body parts. On top of that, he keeps a decapitated head in his fridge because, as previously stated, he's a lunatic.

Despite his lack of morality, Bateman shows a modicum of restraint when he brings his secretary Jean to his apartment. After grabbing a roll of duct tape, it looks like Patrick is about to tie her up. Once he loses that impulse, he then grabs a nail gun shortly after as it appears Bateman has got his groove back. But as he's about to shoot Jean from behind, Bateman's fiancĂ©e calls, causing him to lose his mojo again.

Even though there's nothing stopping Patrick from killing Jean, he calmly urges her to leave, telling her, "Something bad will happen if you stay".

He may be demented, but this moment proves that Patrick Bateman does have a conscience. It just happens to be buried very, very, very deeply.

Contributor

James Egan has been with Whatculture for five years and prominently works on Horror, Film, and Video Games. He's written over 80 books including 1000 Facts about Horror Movies Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about The Greatest Films Ever Made Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about Video Games Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts About James Bond 1000 Facts About TV Shows