In 1987, New York City investment banker Patrick Bateman leads a double life, meticulously maintaining a polished social façade while harboring violent impulses. By day, he dines at trendy restaurants, obsesses over his physical appearance, and navigates a shallow circle of wealthy associates he secretly despises, all while engaged to Evelyn Williams. During a business meeting, he and his colleagues flaunt their business cards, fixating on their designs. Bateman is enraged by the perceived superiority of his colleague Paul Allen's card. Later, he encounters a homeless man and his dog in an alley; initially offering help, Bateman instead insults and brutally kills them.