I didn't know anything about the plot if Nightcrawler going into it. The one thing I did know is that anyone who spoke about the movie praised Jake Gyllenhaal's performance.
Rightfully so, as well. Nightcrawler is a strong movie that rests almost entirely on the back of Gyllenhaal's disturbing performance. Alongside that there's some interesting moral and social commentary, all wrapped up in some decent thrills, action and dark satire.
The movie follows Louis Bloom (Gyllenhaal), a man desperate to find work who ends up taking to the idea of crime journalism; following up police call-outs and filming what he can, the grizzlier the better.
Throughout the film, we see Lou go to any and all lengths to earn money and recognition for what he does, but what makes the character compelling is his total lack of remorse in his actions. He steals and lies without a second thought because it accomplishes his goals, and his actions only become more disturbing as the film goes on. Some early turning points in the film include breaking into a house next door to a crime scene in order to get a better shot of some victims, and eventually one scene in which he gets to a car crash early, and moves the corpse of a victim in order to frame the incident more compellingly. He is completely focused on furthering himself in every avenue of life, and feels completely justified in his actions because of it. He's what happens when a sociopath gets his hands on a self-help book.
In addition to his wordless actions, Lou is unsettling almost every time he opens his mouth, and particularly in any scene where a negotiation occurs, which happens to be a lot in this movie. He breaks people down with his words, manipulating them into giving them what he wants, compromising only when he thinks he has found his limit. He coerces money, recognition and sex out of whoever he wants those things from, and people only realise how much influence he has gained over them when it's already too late.
Everything Lou does is ultimately to serve this narrative of himself, this idea of himself that he has cultivated in his head. He withholds footage from the police that would identify two criminals because it allows him to follow them up and create more stories, while believing himself to be heroic because he still aids in their identification. This unsettling behaviour also contains a hidden rage. A scene where Lou stands alone in his failure shows the true anger he covers up; a true sociopath.
All of this is delivered exceedingly well by Gyllenhaal. His wide, blank eyes, a light smirk in the right moment, it builds on the character's quietly menacing persona. There's a lot of good things to say about Nightcrawler, but this is truly Gyllenhaal's movie.
There's some good cinematography going on here, at least during the city nightlife sequences; the dark tone of the film is at its most interesting here. The satirisation of The American Dream is clear here, and while it's an electrifying idea while watching the film, it's light enough that is warrants little discussion afterwards. editing, soundtrack and directing are all well done. There's nothing bad here, nothing less-than-good, even, but most of the film's appeal is laid squarely on Gyllenhaal's character and performance.
The Verdict: Nighcrawler is an interesting thriller with an excellent performance from Gyllenhaal; a dark movie that I could recommend to someone in need of a few chills. Way to much abhorrent content to be suitable for children.
Rating: 7.5/10
Watched January 4th, 2016, Published on July 3rd, 2016
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