Nightcrawler is an extraordinary thriller with a lead performance for the ages.

Rating: Null/10 (29 December 2014)

Nightcrawler surprised me, I thought I was getting a creepy disturbing film, it was still that, but it was actually way more interesting than what I expected, it's funny, smart and electrifying, with of course a mind-blowing performance by the brilliant Jake Gyllenhaal.
This film tells the story of Lou Bloom, a very persistent man who is looking for a formal job. After selling some supplies he stole (he is a rascal from the beginning) Lou happens upon a car crash and learns of "nightcrawling", a profession where a person films crime scenes and sells them to news stations to broadcast. Lou starts filming ambitiously, with the goal of getting money at first, despite not really knowing what he is doing (these scenes are hilarious!) , but he eventually becomes obsessed with his job to the point of manipulating crime scenes in order to get the best footage he can. This obsession turns him into an even worse person, and that's the success of Nightcrawler, this character study of Louis Bloom, played so wonderfully by Jake Gyllenhaal. Riz Ahmed and Rene Russo round up the supporting cast as Rick, Lou's employee who helps him in his nightcrawling efforts and Nina, a TV-news veteran to whom Lou sells his footage.
Now, Jake Gyllenhaal's performance in this movie, mind-blowing, spectacular, amazing, seriously I have nothing but praise to say of his portrayal of Lou. He kills it! To start, Lou is already an incredible character, such a disturbing guy, he made me cringe for a good part of the film. From the start of the film, you see him with the light in his face, you can feel there's something really unsettling about the guy, he's just off, intriguingly creepy, and everything he says sounds like something you would get from following those self-help books. This creepy charisma was achieved due to Gyllenhaal's noteworthy dedication to the role, you can really tell the guy was into it, from his weight loss to breaking the mirror.
Bloom is not the most likable guy, he is a scoundrel, everything he says he says it so that he can optimize every situation in order to get what he wants, without caring about the consequences that it may bring those around him. He may laugh a lot, make small talk, but there's a scene where you see just how different this facade is from his real self, you can also see that a lot in his exchanges with Rick. Despite all of that, the way the movie tells his story you just root for him, that said, eventually Lou crosses a line of morality, and at that point you don't want him to win anymore, just like with how I felt about Walter White, from Breaking Bad, another incredible character. After seeing the movie you begin to morally question yourself for having rooted for such a horrible guy, dark stuff, man.
An outstanding character played by a brilliant actor. To put it bluntly, you don't see Jake Gyllenhaal in this movie, you see this slick, gaunt, and creepy bastard roaming the streets of LA in search of a good crime scene. That's how incredible Gyllenhaal is in this movie. He's not the only one who gave a great performance here though, Rene Russo was also really great, she drifts between anger and gratefulness towards Lou, and she's exceptional when portraying both emotions. The only problem I had with the acting here was Riz Ahmed, he wasn't very good in the movie, he just seemed way too scared and awkward all the time, it seemed like it was the character's only emotion, to be fair though, I didn't think Rick was a memorable character.
My only flaws with the movie were something in the final act, something happened that made no sense and Riz Ahmed's acting and character. However, everything else makes up for it. And what an ending to an already great film, not very satisfying but very smart and coherent with the rest of the story.
Dan Gilroy did a great job directing the film, Los Angeles looks glazed and intimidating at night, with the evening light highlighting Jake's emotionless expressions, creeping up his character even more. His script is at the same level, getting a hold of the audience and not letting go, making us tense with excitement, wondering what Lou will do next. Superb soundtrack, as well, every song accentuates the tone of the scene, the main theme is riveting, augmenting the thriller feel of the whole movie. Add in a thrilling car chase and Jake Gyllenhaal's exquisite performance and you get Nightcrawler, an incredible character- driven film that offers even more than its already great study of a terrific character. I strongly recommend you check it out, at least once, it's the type of film you see once and that's good enough for you, seeing it too much will spoil the feeling you get when you watch it.
Like I said, I only saw one or two flaws with the movie, but both are compensated by the rest of it and then some. Nightcrawler is truly a jewel of a movie.