Five-Word Review: Hypnotising, Thrilling, Extraordinary Central Performance

Rating: 9/10 (12 November 2015)

Set in the dark, gritty, neon-soaked world of night-time urban America, Dan Gilroy's Nightcrawler features Brokeback Mountain's Oscar nominated Jake Gyllenhaal as Lou Bloom, a sociopath who buys a camera and a police scanner and goes out hunting ('nightcrawling') for crimes to film and sell to local news stations.
The fact that Gyllenhaal was the only actor I mentioned above, despite the considerable supporting cast, tells you all you need to know about how incredible his performance in Nightcrawler is. The fact that there's even a question about whether or not his is the best acting performance of 2014 shows how good the year was for acting. His Lou Bloom is an absolutely unforgettable creation, with an extraordinary body transformation (especially given his beefed-up turn less than a year later in 2015's Southpaw) that renders the anorexic-looking character unsettling and almost inhuman. With a gaunt face that makes his eyes seem to bulge out of his head, and his posture, reminiscent of a praying mantis, Gyllenhaal steals all of his scenes in his unrecognisable role. Which means he steals the film.
Not that the rest of the film is poor in comparison - a pulsating, uncomfortable soundtrack invades the ears, and supporting turns from Rene Russo (The Thomas Crowne Affair) as Lou's morally ambiguous news contact, in addition to The Reluctant Fundamentalist star Riz Ahmed and Bill Paxton are solid, though this is Gyllenhaal's film through and through. What makes his character so good is the complexity - is he just a mentally deranged sociopath anyway, or is he, like all of us, just suffering from the consequences and fallout of The Credit Crunch and the economic downturn? Bloom's method of speech, each word carefully measured and brimming with buzzwords is straight from hours looking up how to talk like a successful person on the internet, adds to his near- terrifying persona. A fantastic script, with Gilroy deservedly Oscar-nominated for his sharp, Sorkin-esque screenplay, always compelling and rendering every scene a real interest to watch. I really struggle to think of anything bad about Nightcrawler - does it count that Gyllenhaal's performance is simply too good? It may just be the best film of 2014. 97/100