Protagonist of bret easton ellis' 1991 novel american psycho. A super-materialist New York City yuppie, Bateman spends his time dining, training in the gym, taking care of his tan, visiting exquisit parties and murdering people - mostly girls he knows, but also randomly chosen tramps and passers-by - in the most gruesome ways. This last thing is just plain entertainment for Bateman, as he is mostly obsessed with his looks, clothing and social status. For more information on the book, see american psycho [book].patrick bateman also makes an appearance in ellis's novels 'the rules of attraction' (1987) and glamorama (1998).in 2002 a film (american psycho [movie]) based on american psycho came out starring christian bale as patrick bateman.