AN ANALYSIS OF NIHILISM IN MODERN SOCIETY: A STUDY OF AMERICAN PSYCHO AND EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE

Sandra Somanath; Devi K

doi:10.29121/granthaalayah.v13.i13(4ISMER).2025.6087

Authors

Sandra Somanath MA English Language and Literature, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Kochi campus.
Dr. Devi K Assistant professor, Department of English, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Kochi campus

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29121/granthaalayah.v13.i13(4ISMER).2025.6087

Keywords:

Nihilism, Existentialism, Identity, Cultural Analysis

Abstract [English]

Through thoroughly examining two culturally significant films, American Psycho (2000) and Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022), this research paper explores the ubiquitous theme of nihilism in contemporary society. This analysis will look at how each movie both reflects and challenges nihilistic ideologies, providing opposing viewpoints on the pursuit of meaning in a world that is becoming more and more disjointed and disillusioned. By contrasting these two movies, the study seeks to reveal how nihilism is portrayed in various genres and eras and how it reflects societal concerns about morality, identity, and purpose.
Although philosophy and classic literature have written a great deal about nihilism, little attention has been paid to how nihilistic themes are portrayed in modern films like American Psycho and Everything Everywhere All at Once about contemporary societal issues, especially identity crises. Few studies have looked at the relationship between nihilism and the pursuit of self-identity and personal meaning, particularly in a consumer-driven society like that portrayed in American Psycho, or the more general existential issues discussed in Everything Everywhere All at Once. This disparity emphasises the need for a more thorough examination of how contemporary film reflects and critiques nihilistic ideologies via the prism of psychological and cultural issues.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Camus, A. (1991). The Myth of Sisyphus (J. O'Brien, Trans.). Vintage International.

Dufresne, J. G. (2022). The Fragmentation of Self in Multiverse Cinema: Analysing Identity and Nihilism in Everything Everywhere All At Once. Oxford University Press.

Ellis, B. E. (1991). American Psycho. Vintage Contemporaries.

Ferguson, D. N. (2002). The Hollow Pursuit: Capitalism, Consumerism, and Nihilism in American Psycho. Harvard University Press.

Ford, T. B. (2023). Absurdity and Liberation: A Camusian Reading of Everything Everywhere All At Once. Journal of Contemporary Philosophy, 34(2), 112–129.

Harron, M. (Director). (2000). American Psycho. Lionsgate Films.

Kellner, D. (2000). Media Culture : Cultural Studies, Identity, and Politics Between the Modern and the Postmodern. Routledge.

Knight, M. E. (2022). From Nihilism To Connection : Love and Meaning in Everything Everywhere All At Once. Film and Philosophy Review, 28(3), 87–102.

Murphy, A. J. (2022). Infinite Choices, Infinite Meaninglessness: the Multiverse As A Metaphor for Nihilism in Contemporary Film. Columbia University Press.

Nietzsche, F. (1968). The Will To Power (W. Kaufmann & R. J. Hollingdale, Trans.). Vintage.

Pahl, J. M. (2007). Camus in American Psycho : The Absurd Hero and the Rejection of Meaning. Studies in Postmodern Literature, 19(1), 45–63.

Perry, R. (2005). The Existential Violence of Patrick Bateman : A Nihilistic Critique of Modernity. Critical Inquiry in Film Studies, 14(4), 233–249.

Sartre, J.-P. (2007). Existentialism Is A Humanism (C. Macomber, Trans.). Yale University Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv15vwkgx DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv15vwkgx

Wallace, D. F. (2000). E Unibus Pluram: Television and U.S. Fiction. Little, Brown.

Yang, D. K., & Scheinert, D. (Directors). (2022). Everything Everywhere All At Once. A24.