Psychopathic describes a person, a crime, or a way of acting that matches the psychopath picture: little real empathy, little guilt, and harm that can look planned and cold. We say psychopathic violence, a psychopathic liar, psychopathic traits. It is an adjective first, though some writing uses it as a noun for the person. The word is strong and a bit clinical; in daily talk people often just say cruel, cold, or evil. Though actually, psychopathic is not the same as psychotic. Psychotic points to psychosis — a break with reality. Psychopathic points to a lasting pattern of unfeeling, often dangerous, behaviour. Films mix the two because both sound “crazy,” but they are different problems.