Gyllenhaal is amazing in a unrealistic mess

Rating: 6/10 (10 February 2015)

First the good: Gyllenhall hits a grand slam here. No doubt the creepiest character since Bardem in No Country for Old Men. Most of the time you want to punch him in the face, which is exactly what Jake was going for. His performance of the smug sociopath is top notch.
What ruins it for me is the realism of what he does. The film has him walking easily through police tape, wandering around on crime scenes - no questions asked, driving side by side with police during vehicle pursuits, standing as close to car accident victims as the emergency responders, etc. In reality he would have been arrested or kicked off the scene in about thirty seconds.
Second is how the news channels quickly buy this graphic and mostly illegally shot footage and show it almost uncut on their next broadcast. When is the last time you saw (or heard) of a newscast showing dead bodies, blood, murder weapons while the anchors impromptu narrate it. "Oh, that looks like a female victim shot in the face. Wow, that's too bad. OK now it looks like he's walking up the stairs.."
Watch this movie for Jake's performance, which alone is worth the rental - but prepare to shake your head during the preposterous crime scene and newsroom moments.