American Psycho and 4 Other Movies That Totally Nail the Sigma Male Vibe

The cult of sigma is not a new phenomenon, but it has only reached the public in the last few years. This is the name given to alpha males who value solitude, do not take public opinion into account, have leadership qualities and are not in a hurry to enter into serious relationships with women.

These five cult movies will show you who sigmas are and why everyone wants to be one.

1. Taxi Driver, 1976

Taxi driver and Vietnam veteran Travis drives around New York and observes the moral decline of society: drug dealers roam the streets, homeless people sleep directly on the ground, and rich politicians profit off the citizens. One day, the man decides to take matters into his own hands and clean up the city.

Robert De Niro's character is one of the first sigmas in the history of cinema. He is a goal-oriented person who sees the world as a battlefield for his ideals: rejected by a woman, he decides to completely change the wrong reality, no matter what it costs him.

2. Zoolander, 2001

Supermodel Derek Zoolander was once the star of the industry, but everything changed. His friends died, his parents abandoned their son, and a competitor knocked him off his pedestal. Derek's only chance for a big comeback is to join a media mogul's big show. But what he really wants is to use Zoolander as a pawn in a political assassination.

Derek can hardly be called a sigma. He does act like an alpha male, from his confident demeanor to his stylish outfit. But the authors prefer to look at him from the outside. Instead of a strong man, we see a weirdo: he thinks too much of himself, criticizes others for no reason, and constantly makes funny faces.

3. American Psycho, 2000

Young Wall Street broker Patrick Bateman looks like a movie star and lives like one, eating in fancy restaurants, and wearing luxurious clothes. But his desire to be the best among his competitors is playing a cruel joke on him.

Gradually, Patrick goes mad and loses touch with reality. At night, he begins to kill and even enjoys it. But the longer he goes unpunished, the faster he realizes that perhaps all his crimes are just a figment of his sick imagination.

The creators of American Psycho intended the film as a critique of capitalism and consumerism. But years later, Bateman's antihero has found imitators. In particular, the sigma face has gone viral: a man frowns, purses his lips, and nods his head – users from all over the world try to imitate this expression.

4. Nightcrawler, 2014

Louis makes a living from petty theft. One day, on his way home, he witnesses an accident and sees a freelance reporter filming the incident. He decides to try his hand at journalism and drives around Los Angeles at night looking for murders and deaths. He sells the footage to TV stations, but it seems that Louis is also selling his soul to the devil.

At first glance, Louis does not look like a sigma: he is skinny, sickly-looking, wears the same shirt every day, and lives in a modest apartment. But his personality is the exact opposite: Louis goes straight for the jugular and shows steely perseverance. He is a crazy careerist who talks about nothing but work.

5. Drive, 2011

The identity of the unnamed driver is shrouded in mystery. During the day he works at a car service, and in the evenings he helps robbers leave the scene of a crime. He tells no one about his past, preferring to drive around Los Angeles than talk. Everything changes when the driver meets a woman named Irene – and the hunt for the driver's head begins.

The driver, played by Ryan Gosling, does not look like Patrick Bateman. The man is quiet, focused on his work, and almost never lets his emotions show, and almost nothing can distract him from fulfilling his duty. At the same time, he wins all fights and does not allow himself to be offended. To be happy, all he needs is a car, his favorite jacket with a scorpion on it, and a toothpick.