An eerie neo-noir production featuring Jake Gyllenhaal at his creepiest

Rating: 9/10 (2 December 2014)

"Nightcrawler" details the exploits of Louis Bloom, an emotionally disturbed and likely sociopathic yet highly motivated young man who takes up freelance crime photography after witnessing cameramen taking footage of a car crash. As he propels through the ranks at the local news station to which he sells his films, he becomes more and more directly involved in the crimes that he documents.
Jake Gyllenhaal delivers a highly disquieting performance as Bloom, in what is arguably his best role yet. Though Louis immediately comes off as friendly and charming, you can't help but feel that this is just a mask, and that something much more dark and sinister bubbles just below the surface. This becomes much more apparent across the course of the film, as Louis freely extorts and manipulates others to get to his desired goals, without a shred of remorse. Virtually no backstory is granted for him, making him, and all of his unique tics and traits, all the more enigmatic and creepy. Other key characters, such as Nina (Rene Russo) and Rick (Riz Ahmed) are forced to play into Lou's plans, with great dramatic effect.
The majority of the crimes that Lou film are only clearly shown through the grainy footage that he provides to his go-to news station, making we, the audience, feel as if we are also perpetuating and participating in his depraved acts. This coupled with Lou's gradual transition from passive filmmaker to borderline crime instigator makes for an uneasy viewing experience.
Like Nicolas Winding Refn's "Drive" (2011), "Nightcrawler" has a distinct 80's neo-noir vibe, with a stylistic use of minimal lighting and synthesizer-driven soundtrack, which all help contribute to the production's haunting atmosphere.
The end result is a hard-hitting, compelling film that forces audiences to question their own obsession with violent media and sensationalist news production. This, combined with a bold yet brilliant performance from Gyllenhaal makes "Nightcrawler" must-see viewing.