Actor Ansel Elgort is best known for teen-focused films like The Fault In Our Stars and the Divergent series, but for his latest music video he went in a bit more adult direction, channeling Christian Bale’s unbalanced star turn as Patrick Bateman in American Psycho.
Elgort says he created the titular Thief character and wanted to place him in a similar environment to Bateman.
“I had created a character while writing and producing this song that was the Thief,” Elgort told Rolling Stone. “I couldn’t wait to bring him to life in the video. For the performance, we wanted something colorful and rich. We went with an all-leather outfit and neon lighting while I sang and danced, like an Eighties dance video
Elgort added he viewed his “Thief” character as an extension of artists inhabiting alter-egos.
“Musicians used to play characters all the time: Bowie, MJ, Freddie Mercury. I’m inspired by those guys [rather than] the modern pop star,” he said and that glitzed-up throwback mentality carried over into Elgort’s production of the song.
“The first element of the production I created was that changing rolling triplet bass line,” he said. “That bass line was certainly inspired by some of the bass lines in [the Drive] soundtrack.”
There’s also plenty of steamy scenes in the video, so check out Elgort’s creepy take on the ’80s up top.
