Uncomfortable viewing, but a masterpiece of a thriller

Rating: 8/10 (26 November 2014)

This is an incredibly involving piece of cinema, following a very driven and ruthless character as he realises his ambitions and follows the American dream. Jake Gyllenhaal plays Lou Bloom, an opportunistic thief who drives around at night stealing copper and metals. He is desperately seeking a route to success and after seeing a camera crew capture a few minutes of film and earn $500, he is determined to pursue this as a career.
Lou Bloom is a complex and very intriguing character, though in the grand hall of fame of these sociopathic loner characters, Lou's is possible one of the least plausible. He is frightening though and carries the pace and intensity of the film with the bulbous glare of his eyes and his unhinged but smug and calm smile. Sometimes it is difficult to look at the screen as he delivers his ice cold monologues staring into the camera burning through the eyes of whoever he is talking to.
The problem with the character though is that he has been constructed for effect, rather than fleshed out and developed. Lou doesn't descend into immorality he simply has a strong work ethic, a knack for research and an unstoppable determination, which allows him to be immediately successful in this field. His lack of ethics and ambition then catapult him to the top of his game. There is however, no explanation as to his drive, no hint about his background and no real insight into his motivation. The closest comparison in terms of this type of sociopathic character is Daniel Plainview in There Will be Blood, but Daniel Day Lewis' character is far more nuanced, with a level of detail and believability that Nightcrawler lacks. As a result Lou Bloom is an excellent villain but falls short of being anything more than that.
All in all a very well made thriller though. Supreme acting all round, original premise and great score. Nightcrawler has incredible pace and is as disturbing and frightening as it intended to be.