American Psycho

Yeah, I got the exact same vibe. In fact, when Fassbender's face wasn't being shown directly on the screen, I kept visualizing that it was Christian Bale playing the character.

As for why:

I think the Wall Street setting, combined with as you say the similar lifestlyes of the characters, had a lot to do with it. A difference would be that American Psycho was using Patrick's flawed personality to comment metaphorically on the broader culture he was living in, whereas Shame was more just a straightforward character study, which remains neutral about the overall milieu.

I definitely felt the vibe. Brandon and Patrick both take good care of themselves, including grooming. Both are attractive single men with similar jobs, who pay hookers. Both are proud of owning an apartment, and discuss it. And both have a secret life, and an addiction, and the movie really follows their whole downfall. And both movies are totally driven by the main character. You can also see why both of them always get women, yet they also both pay hookers cos the women don't satisfy them.

I also felt a big Eyes Wide Shut vibe. Put Eyes Wide Shut and American Psycho together and you have Shame.

Oh I agree completely. This could easily be based off a Brett Easton Ellis novel.

I think the main theme is that of a really good looking and vein male character who has issues with women as sex objects. And add to that the major acting skills and dedication of both Bale and Fassbender.

But instead of killing them like Patrick Bateman, he just jerks off to them instead.

Even the cold and claustrophobic, New York Wall Street style setting is remarkably similar.

1) Homeless People and the City
Brandon looks away from the homeless guy then soon gets distracted by the woman on the subway. She and he take on a special relationship apart from the dull, everyday multitude on the subway - creating a distance between himself and them.

In American Psycho (the novel), there's obviously Timothy's whole monologue about the filth of New York. And Patrick and his friends continually distance themselves from the homeless by demonstrating their greater seductive power with jokes or disgust. When Patrick takes pity on the homeless guy before killing him, he focuses on how widely different they are from each other, and avoids trying to look for commonalities of experience.

2) Sense of Inadequacy in Intimate Relationships: Brandon looks for validation from Marianne just as Patrick wishes for it from Bethany. The only difference is that Patrick tries to revenge himself on Bethany for making him feel inadequate.

3) Guy Culture: David's banter is similar to all the banter about hardbodies. What's also somewhat similar is that initially, Patrick expresses some lighthearted disgust about McDermott wanting to have a woman who's face he can "sit on" for 30 minutes - just as Patrick also does with David in regards to the Brazilian waitress.

4) Prostitutes and Pornographic Sex: Obviously all the "Would you like a drink" lines. The sort of consuming, violating energy in the sex scenes are also similar. They aren't emotionally involved in the sex - Patrick describes how his finely honed body is performing all these pornographic acts. This reminds me of the shot of Brandon's torso and below going in and out - that they are just playing a role.

5) Hopelessness: They both end up sobbing in desperation at their lifestyle but they feel hopeless to change.

Excellent post christianaugustandersen. Yes, I also thought of Patrick, especially as the two men are both handsome, successful but excessively perverted. Of course the New York setting recalled scenes in "Psycho." Just a remark on the word "nymphomaniac," which applies only to a woman, as the "nympho" prefix refers to the female deities, nymphs, know for their beauty and at times promiscuity. The male is a satyromaniac, the satyr being the deity with horns and lower body of a goat, the animal known for its randiness. I would say that randy Brandon fits the description.

After watching the first 15 minutes of the movie, "American Psycho" pops to my mind too

"I can smell your CANT"

I am reminded of the original Scarface, with Paul Muni.....

That's the first thing I came to remember about. Though not a exact comparison, the hideous sexual life that Mike lived in this movie is somewhat comparable to Christian's.

Your mind makes it real.