Biography
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. ...
Known For
Complete Filmography
Irvine Welsh: Reality is Not Enough
2025
as Self
One of the most controversial writers of our times, join Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh as he undergoes a remarkable trip to find new meaning in hi...
BRATS
2024
as Self
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. H...
The End of the World
2022
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 sch...
Killer, Trader and Psychopath: The America of Bret Easton Ellis
2021
as Self - Writer
In 1991, American Psycho, the third novel by controversial writer Bret Easton Ellis, provoked heated discussions among critics and readers alike; an e...
Smiley Face Killers
2020
Writer, Producer
Handsome young soccer player Jake Graham believes he is going insane, unable to shake the feeling of being stalked by something, by someone.
Kill, Kobek... Kill!
2020
as Bret Easton Ellis
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 hi...
The Loser
2019
as Him
A horribly failed interview. A meeting of great minds. David Shields, Bret Easton Ellis and some loser.
The Arrangement
2019
Director, Screenplay
The Arrangement is the third incarnation of the international art enterprise, SELF—curated by Saint Laurent’s creative director, In this film about j...
Less than Zero
2019
Executive Producer
A college freshman returns to L.A. for the holidays at his ex-girlfriend's request, but discovers that his former best friend has an out-of-control dr...
Generation Wealth
2018
as Self
Over the past 25 years, Lauren Greenfield's documentary photography and film projects have explored youth culture, gender, body image, and affluence. ...
78/52
2017
as Self
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...
Figaro
2016
Director, Screenplay
"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 o...
The Curse of Downers Grove
2015
Screenplay, Executive Producer
The town of Downers Grove looks like your average suburban neighborhood -- but Downers Grove has a disturbing secret.... For the past eight years, one...
Orpheus
2015
Director, Screenplay
The myth of Orpheus, set in the music industry, in a hellish version of Los Angeles.
Placebo: Loud Like Love
2014
as Voice
Official music video for Placebo 'Loud Like Love'
Her: Love in the Modern Age
2014
as Self
Her: Love In The Modern Age chronicles reactions to Spike Jonze's Oscar-nominated film, "Her." The documentary, directed by Lance Bangs, features stor...
The Canyons
2013
Writer
The discovery of an illicit love affair leads two young Angelenos on a violent, sexually charged tour through the dark side of human nature.
Placebo: Too Many Friends
2013
as Voice
Official music video for Placebo 'Too Many Friends'
Glitterati
2011
Story
A re-edited version of the "European Trip" section from The Rules of Attraction, originally meant to bridge the gap between adaptations of Bret Easton...
Behind the scenes of All That Glitters
2010
as Author
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...
Behind the scenes of All That Glitters
2010
Director
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...
Inspired by Bret Easton Ellis
2010
Characters, Thanks
Commissioned by Random House and Bret Easton Ellis.
The Replacement Child
2008
Thanks
After spending a year in a juvenile center for beating up his stepfather, Todd Turnbull returns to his backwoods hometown a repentant, deeply religiou...
The Informers
2008
Screenplay, Author, Producer
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 ...
The Rules of Attraction
2002
Novel
The incredibly spoiled and overprivileged students of Camden College are a backdrop for an unusual love triangle between a drug dealer, a virgin and a...
Fernanda Pivano: A Farewell to Beat
2001
as Se stesso
American Psycho
2000
Novel
A wealthy New York investment banking executive hides his alternate psychopathic ego from his co-workers and friends as he escalates deeper into his i...
This Is Not an Exit: The Fictional World of Bret Easton Ellis
1998
Writer
When "American Psycho" was released early in 2000 it reaffirmed author Bret Easton Ellis as the controversial "bad boy" of contemporary American Ficti...
Less Than Zero
1987
Novel
A college freshman returns to Los Angeles for Christmas at his ex-girlfriend's request, but discovers that his former best friend has an out-of-contro...
Relapse
N/A
Director, Writer
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 toge...
American Psycho
N/A
Novel, Executive Producer
A new film adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis's influential novel 'American Psycho'. It aims to reimagine Patrick Bateman in the fast-paced modern era.
Bait
N/A
Screenplay
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 gro...