An intense yet awkwardly layered film

Rating: 6/10 (4 December 2014)

The best way to describe Nightcrawler would be to call it a decent Grand Theft Auto V expansion pack.
Nightcrawler is shot fantastically well, Robert Elswit gives it a flawless digital sheen that particularly brings out the nocturnal Los Angeles urban jungle. Jake Gyllenhaal gives a fine calculated performance as the morbidly ambitious sociopath Lou Bloom. It does have a few genuinely tense and thrilling moments.
In spite of that Nightcrawler doesn't really have to dexterity to manage it's themes, tone or narrative in a complementary way. It attempts to deal with issues in a way that's somewhat familiar and worn to a degree the result is palette that doesn't quite work. Upon the culmination of the second act you can't help but feel that Gilroy had written himself into a corner. What is produced is a second attempt at a third act. It's result had not been established in any formal way. What's left is something seemingly ludicrous and somewhat ill fitting. At the core of this issue is a script that's a small bit too self satisfied and an inability to layer it's elements together in a satisfying way.
Overall, a decent effort from first time director Dan Gilroy but I can't help but feel that it could have had been something really captivating with more skill and strength of conviction.