Bret Easton Ellis

Writing

Bret Easton Ellis

Born 1964-03-07 · Los Angeles, California, USA

Bret Easton Ellis (born March 7, 1964) is an American author and screenwriter. Ellis was one of the literary Brat Pack and is a self-proclaimed satirist whose trademark technique as a writer is the expression of extreme acts and opinions in an affectless style. His novels commonly share recurring characters. When Ellis was 21, his first novel, the controversial bestseller Less than Zero (1985), was published by Simon & Schuster. His third novel, American Psycho (1991), was his most successful. Upon its release, the literary establishment widely condemned it as overly violent and misogynistic. Though many petitions to ban the book saw Ellis dropped by Simon & Schuster, the resounding controversy convinced Alfred A. Knopf to release it as a paperback later that year. Ellis's novels have become increasingly metafictional. Lunar Park (2005), a pseudo-memoir and ghost story, received positive reviews. Imperial Bedrooms (2010), marketed as a sequel to Less than Zero, continues in this vein. The Shards (2023) is a fictionalized memoir of Ellis's final year of high school in 1981 in Los Angeles. Four of Ellis's works have been made into films. Less than Zero was adapted in 1987 as a film of the same name, but the film bore little resemblance to the novel. Mary Harron's adaptation of American Psycho was released in 2000. Roger Avary's adaptation of The Rules of Attraction was released in 2002. The Informers, co-written by Ellis and based on his collection of short stories, was released in 2008. Ellis also wrote the screenplay for the 2013 film The Canyons. Description above from the Wikipedia article Bret Easton Ellis, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Acting credits

BRATS poster
6.0

In the 1980s, Andrew McCarthy was part of a young generation of actors who were set to take over Hollywood after a string of successful teen movies. However, when the New York magazine cover story in 1985 dubs them the Brat Pack, stars in the making suddenly find themselves losing control over the trajectory of their careers. Now, almost forty years later, McCarthy looks to reconnect with peers and co-stars so that together they can reflect on their respective legacies.

BRATS

2024

78/52 poster
7.1

The most famous murder scene in movie history comprises 78 camera settings and 52 cuts: the shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho. 78/52 tells the story of the man behind the curtain and his greatest obsession.

78/52

2017

Sebastian poster
6.3

Max is a 25-year-old freelance writer and aspiring novelist who seems well on his way to success in London’s cultural spheres. Yet by night, he finds a different kind of exhilaration as a sex worker with the pseudonym Sebastian, meeting men via an escorting platform. Max uses his experiences as Sebastian to fuel his stories and the worthy debut novel that he has been longing to write, finally seems within reach.

Sebastian

2024

Generation Wealth poster
6.4

Over the past 25 years, Lauren Greenfield's documentary photography and film projects have explored youth culture, gender, body image, and affluence. Underscoring the ever-increasing gap between the haves and the have-nots, portraits reveal a focus on cultivating image over substance, where subjects unable to attain actual wealth instead settle for its trappings, no matter their ability to pay for it.

Generation Wealth

2018

No artwork available
6.8

A sneak peek behind the scenes of the new CW show, All That Glitters, from acclaimed writer of "American Psycho", Bret Easton Ellis. All That Glitters takes us into the lives of the hot, young, sexy and rich crowd that struggles with everyday life.

Behind the Scenes of All That Glitters

2010

Her: Love in the Modern Age poster
6.1

Her: Love In The Modern Age chronicles reactions to Spike Jonze's Oscar-nominated film, "Her." The documentary, directed by Lance Bangs, features stories and reflections from writers, musicians, actors and contemporary culture experts, including Olivia Wilde, James Murphy and Bret Easton Ellis, on the film "Her," and their thoughts on love in the modern age.

Her: Love in the Modern Age

2014

Killer, Trader and Psychopath: The America of Bret Easton Ellis poster
6.1

In 1991, American Psycho, the third novel by controversial writer Bret Easton Ellis, provoked heated discussions among critics and readers alike; an extraordinarily disturbing book that transported its readers into the mind of Patrick Bateman, a cynical mergers and acquisitions executive obsessed with brands, inconsequential details, pop culture and brutal murder.

Killer, Trader and Psychopath: The America of Bret Easton Ellis

2021

Kill, Kobek... Kill! poster
NR

Radical left-wing author Jarett Kobek's last novel was a massive commercial failure. As he sees it, the only hope left for his career is to promote his newest book, Only Americans Burn in Hell, by debating prominent conservatives on right-wing media. But can America's last dissident author save his career while democracy dies around him?

Kill, Kobek... Kill!

2020

Fernanda Pivano: A Farewell to Beat poster
7.3

No synopsis available yet.

Fernanda Pivano: A Farewell to Beat

2001

The Loser poster
6.0

A horribly failed interview. A meeting of great minds. David Shields, Bret Easton Ellis and some loser.

The Loser

2019

Placebo: Too Many Friends poster
NR

Official music video for Placebo 'Too Many Friends'

Placebo: Too Many Friends

2013

The End of the World poster
NR

What was going on at Bennington College in the 1980s? Matthew Tyrnauer reveals the not-so-secret history of a small (enrollment: 700) liberal arts school that nurtured a shocking amount of genius. Bret Easton Ellis (American Psycho), Donna Tartt (The Goldfinch), and Jonathan Lethem (The Fortress of Solitude) were standouts amongst many young creatives, who found plenty of inspiration and material within the messy realities of this collegiate petri dish.

The End of the World

2022

Placebo: Loud Like Love poster
NR

Official music video for Placebo 'Loud Like Love'

Placebo: Loud Like Love

2014

Behind the camera

The Informers poster
4.8

A collection of intersecting short stories set in early 1980s Los Angeles, depicts a week in the lives of an assortment of socially alienated, mainly well-off characters who numb their sense of emptiness with casual sex, violence, and drugs.

The Informers

2008

The Informers poster
4.8

A collection of intersecting short stories set in early 1980s Los Angeles, depicts a week in the lives of an assortment of socially alienated, mainly well-off characters who numb their sense of emptiness with casual sex, violence, and drugs.

The Informers

2008

The Arrangement poster
9.0

The Arrangement is the third incarnation of the international art enterprise, SELF—curated by Saint Laurent’s creative director, In this film about jealousy and romantic obsession, two young men vie for the attention of a woman whose affection seemingly swings between the suitors. “The Windmills of Your Mind,”as covered by Petula Clark, acts as both the soundtrack and narrative to this tale of alternating passions. “The windmills of your mind are the things you project onto a neutral reality when you are trapped within the throes of desire. The short movie explores this idea by juxtaposing the dreamy, elegant surroundings of the characters’ world with the reality of their emotional turmoil. “Infatuation can often make the tactile world seem fictional.

The Arrangement

2019

The Arrangement poster
9.0

The Arrangement is the third incarnation of the international art enterprise, SELF—curated by Saint Laurent’s creative director, In this film about jealousy and romantic obsession, two young men vie for the attention of a woman whose affection seemingly swings between the suitors. “The Windmills of Your Mind,”as covered by Petula Clark, acts as both the soundtrack and narrative to this tale of alternating passions. “The windmills of your mind are the things you project onto a neutral reality when you are trapped within the throes of desire. The short movie explores this idea by juxtaposing the dreamy, elegant surroundings of the characters’ world with the reality of their emotional turmoil. “Infatuation can often make the tactile world seem fictional.

The Arrangement

2019

The Canyons poster
4.4

The discovery of an illicit love affair leads two young Angelenos on a violent, sexually charged tour through the dark side of human nature.

The Canyons

2013

No artwork available
6.8

A sneak peek behind the scenes of the new CW show, All That Glitters, from acclaimed writer of "American Psycho", Bret Easton Ellis. All That Glitters takes us into the lives of the hot, young, sexy and rich crowd that struggles with everyday life.

Behind the Scenes of All That Glitters

2010

This Is Not an Exit: The Fictional World of Bret Easton Ellis poster
3.2

When "American Psycho" was released early in 2000 it reaffirmed author Bret Easton Ellis as the controversial "bad boy" of contemporary American Fiction. "This Is Not an Exit" reveals the world inhabited by Ellis.

This Is Not an Exit: The Fictional World of Bret Easton Ellis

1998

No artwork available
NR

An employee at a high-end resort leads a handful of students into shark infested waters after he's beaten and humiliated by one of the guys in the group.

Bait

The Curse of Downers Grove poster
4.6

The town of Downers Grove looks like your average suburban neighborhood -- but Downers Grove has a disturbing secret.... For the past eight years, one senior from every high school graduating class has met a bizarre death right before graduation day. And this year, Chrissie Swanson has a terrible feeling that she is going to be the one to die. Can Chrissie survive the curse of Downers Grove or will she, like those seniors before her, fall prey to the town's deadly secret?

The Curse of Downers Grove

2015

Figaro poster
NR

"Figaro" is a comedic film inspired by the music of The Barber of Sevilla. An opera singer loses his voice during rehearsal and goes through a night of debauchery, before coming back and being able to sing.

Figaro

2016

Figaro poster
NR

"Figaro" is a comedic film inspired by the music of The Barber of Sevilla. An opera singer loses his voice during rehearsal and goes through a night of debauchery, before coming back and being able to sing.

Figaro

2016

Smiley Face Killers poster
2.9

Handsome young soccer player Jake Graham believes he is going insane, unable to shake the feeling of being stalked by something, by someone.

Smiley Face Killers

2021

Smiley Face Killers poster
2.9

Handsome young soccer player Jake Graham believes he is going insane, unable to shake the feeling of being stalked by something, by someone.

Smiley Face Killers

2021

No artwork available
8.0

The myth of Orpheus, set in the music industry, in a hellish version of Los Angeles.

Orpheus

2015

No artwork available
8.0

The myth of Orpheus, set in the music industry, in a hellish version of Los Angeles.

Orpheus

2015

Relapse poster
NR

Matt Cullen is checked into rehab after witnessing a horrific death during a drugged-up party. Three months later, he is set to get his life back together, staying at his parents' mansion in the hills of Los Angeles. But things have changed around Matt and everything seems off balance. Fueled by his unstable personality and the invading power of social media, Matt’s paranoia grows, messing up with his rehabilitation program. As he starts using again, a mysterious presence starts growing around Matt, and a monster that has been haunting him since he was a teenager reveals itself. His therapist tries to help, convinced that the monster is actually in Matt’s head.

Relapse

Relapse poster
NR

Matt Cullen is checked into rehab after witnessing a horrific death during a drugged-up party. Three months later, he is set to get his life back together, staying at his parents' mansion in the hills of Los Angeles. But things have changed around Matt and everything seems off balance. Fueled by his unstable personality and the invading power of social media, Matt’s paranoia grows, messing up with his rehabilitation program. As he starts using again, a mysterious presence starts growing around Matt, and a monster that has been haunting him since he was a teenager reveals itself. His therapist tries to help, convinced that the monster is actually in Matt’s head.

Relapse