American Psycho 2 (also known as American Psycho II: All American Girl) is a 2002 American black comedy slasher film directed by Morgan J. Freeman from a screenplay by Alex Sanger and Karen Craig. Starring Mila Kunis and William Shatner, it is a stand-alone sequel to the film American Psycho (2000). Kunis portrays a criminology student who seeks to advance her career by murdering her classmates.
The screenplay for the film, entitled The Girl Who Wouldn't Die, originally had no association with American Psycho. After production began, the script was altered to connect the film with the original. American Psycho 2 was released direct-to-video on June 18, 2002. The film was panned by critics; the script was also denounced by Bret Easton Ellis, the author of the original novel, and Kunis later expressed regret for working on the film.
Lionsgate president Michael Paseornek commented on the project: "Morgan J. Freeman is a talented director who we are convinced will make a film that will appeal to audiences from the late teens on up. And Mila Kunis is about to really break out. She has great timing for a dark comedy like this."
Filming
Filming began in Toronto in May 2001 The production was noted as having completed in late-June 2001. Bret Easton Ellis, author of the novel American Psycho, expressed confusion about the film's billing as a sequel to Harron's 2000 film adaptation, though he noted at the time that he had sold the rights to the story, commenting: "I've even heard that [Lionsgate] were thinking about doing American Psycho in L.A., American Psycho in Las Vegas, and making a whole franchise out of it."
Marketing
American Psycho 2 catered to the new and increasing demand for DVDs, as evident by the direct-to-disc promotional tool used after the release.
Release
Critical response
American Psycho 2 was panned by critics.
Film critic Rob Gonsalves wrote, "American Psycho 2 wasn't even supposed to be an American Psycho sequel, for Christ's sake! Lions Gate noticed that the first film got critical acclaim and didn't do too poorly in theaters, so they dusted off an unrelated script and modified it to link it (tenuously) to the first film." Almar Haflidason of the BBC awarded the film a two out of five star-rating, writing: "Imagine if the characters of the animated series Scooby-Doo were to turn on one another, and you'll be close to imagining the freakish American Psycho II. Resembling a Scream-styled take on serial killer thrillers, this stuck pig of a movie flails limply between bizarre comedy and pallid horror." Entertainment Weeklys Scott Brown similarly criticized the film, writing: "Unscary and unfunny, [it] still manages to inspire homicidal fantasies—most involving the slow dismemberment of once-promising indie director Morgan J. Freeman."
The film was denounced by American Psycho author Bret Easton Ellis the year before its release. In 2005, Kunis expressed embarrassment over the film and spoke out against the idea of a third entry. "Please—somebody stop this", she said. "Write a petition. When I did the second one, I didn't know it would be American Psycho II. It was supposed to be a different project, and it was re-edited, but, ooh … I don't know. Bad." TV Guides published review described the film as "occasionally amusing" and compared its structure to that of the similarly themed black comedy Getting In (1994), adding, "this horror lampoon; directed by indie up-and-comer Morgan J. Freeman; blithely ridicules FBI profiling, psychoanalysis and professorial sexual misconduct. It's less successful in its efforts to paint serial killers and their trackers as soul mates, and in the end, this campy chiller crucifies the American success ethic with more vigor than elan."
Home media
Though intended for a theatrical release, DVD extras included a feature commentary with director Freeman, star Kunis, deleted scenes, and a trailer. The film made its Blu-ray debut on September 5, 2017. It includes all of the DVD extras along with a digital copy.