"Nightcrawler" Review

Title: Nightcrawler

Directed by: Dan Gilroy

Screenplay by: Dan Gilroy

Year: 2014


Nightcrawler has a very interesting title. It is both very straightforward and very ambiguous. When I first heard of the film, I had no idea what it was about. Upon discovering the plot, I was immediately intrigued. I was able to watch Nightcrawler on its final night of showing in my area. And boy am I glad I was able to catch it before it left theaters.

Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Lou Bloom, a creepy, desperate, and passionate young man who stumbles upon the underworld of television news after running into Joe Loder (Bill Paxton), a nightcrawler. Nightcrawlers are the people who film the breaking stories that appear on the news and Lou is immediately hooked by this concept. He grabs his own camera and police radar to become a nightcrawler of his own. But how far is he willing to go to get the best footage possible?

Nightcrawler blew me away with its inventive premise, its direction, and its incredible performances. I'll address the elephant in the room first; Jake Gyllenhaal. Gyllenhaal has transformed himself into Lou Bloom. He is completely unrecognizable in this role and this is definitely a career-best for him. He gets the character of Lou down perfectly. Everything he does is a marvel; the way he speaks, the way he moves, even the way he looks. He lost about 30 pounds for this role, stating in an interview that he wanted Lou Bloom to look like a coyote, always hungry. Gyllenhaal nailed this aspect and it added so much to the movie. He steals every scene he is in, giving an Oscar-caliber performance and without a doubt one of the best of 2014 if not the best. Rene Russo is also in this movie and she does a tremendous job. She plays Nina, the woman to whom Lou gives his footage. Russo plays the demanding, cold, business woman with incredible ease. Nina's interactions with Lou are always engaging because of the performances. Bill Paxton plays the previously mentioned Joe Loder, Lou's introduction to the nightcrawling business. Paxton proves once again that he is a very talented character actor, with a great amount of charisma.

The story is very intriguing with its imaginative concept and brilliant execution. Nightcrawler is a character piece, an in-depth look at the character of Lou Bloom. The story centers on Lou entirely. In fact, I don't think there is a single scene without Lou in the entire movie. As a result, Lou is always present, much like how in the film he is always present at the biggest crime or accident of the night. Whether or not the film is an accurate portrayal of the news industry is inconsequential. Nightcrawler is not attempting to portray the news in a certain way or show it in a particular light. Nightcrawler's purpose is to entertain the audience and it uses the news as a part of the plot. The movie takes us on a journey detailing the evolution of Lou from being a strange man to being a strange man with a camera and a passion. At first he is doing it for the money but the more he does it the more he begins to love it. The only thing that satisfies Lou is perfection. He must get the best shot possible and will do whatever it takes to get it. For the entirety of the film, we feel like we are sitting in the back seat of the car, listening to the police radio with Lou and Rick, eagerly awaiting for the next call to action.

The musical soundtrack accompanies the film phenomenally, especially during the very tense moments. I found myself playing one of the songs in my head after walking out of the theatre, which should be the goal of any film composer. It's very difficult to describe, but the interments used are actually rather minimal and it perfectly blends in with the night life portrayed in the film. The guitar is a particular standout. And the cinematography works very well for the movie. The many instances of tracking shots serve to engross the audience and make them feel as if they are walking beside Lou while he is attempting to get the perfect shot. This style of camerawork makes for one of the most engaging experiences of the year. For nearly the entire film, I was leaning forward in my seat, completely immersed in the story. The film grabs your attention within the first few minutes by showing that Lou is not a man to mess with. He kills a man in the opening and steals his watch. He continues to wear this watch throughout the entire movie, as a reminder to the audience that he is a dangerous man who will do anything to get what he wants.

That actually brings up another interesting thing about this movie. Lou is the protagonist, and yet the only characteristic he shares with a conventional hero is passion. It is actually very difficult to classify Lou as either an anti-hero or a villain, as he displays typical qualities of both sides, and yet Lou is most definitely not your typical man. The audience is left wondering if they are rooting for a bad guy. We always want Lou to succeed and yet as the beginning clearly showed, this man is capable of murder. How could we possibly root for such a man? That's the beauty of Nightcrawler; we just do. This makes for a very tense, nail-biting watch, which only gets more suspenseful as the movie goes on. The ending is also magnificent. It contains one of the most intense moments of the year in the form of a high-speed car chase through the city at night. This scene causes jaws to drop. And the conclusion is perfectly executed and pays off well.

Nightcrawler is a truly remarkable film. Gyllenhaal's performance is worth the ticket price alone, but to downplay the rest of the movie would be a grave error. With most of the scenes taking place at night (shocker), Nightcrawler establishes a unique diegesis, giving an interesting look at city night-life. The plot is very intriguing, with one of the best screenplays of the year shining brightly despite the dark atmosphere. And the comedic moments fit oddly well, providing some awkward yet well deserved laughs. Dan Gilroy has written scripts before, and this screenplay is spectacular, but this movie is the first time he has sat in the director's chair. And what a great start to a directing career. Nightcrawler will grab you from the start and not let go until the credits are rolling, much like the coyote that Lou resembles. This is a true nail-biting, neo-noir thriller that takes you along for the ride (quite literally) in Lou's Challenger SRT8 392, and you never want the ride to end.

Grade: A+