Nightcrawler
By Neil Innes
Jake Gyllenhaal’s glimmering eyes may be the most disturbing image of the year in Dan Gilroy’s excellently shady LA thriller, but behind them and the film is a perfect satirical look at the vulture-like nature of news broadcasting and our own obsession to video images of violence. Gyllenhaal plays Lou Bloom, a down-and-outer à la Paul Schrader, who stumbles onto a career to match his sociopathic nature, recording murders, car accidents and crimes of the night for a local news broadcast.
Funny, bleak and sharply acted, Nightcrawler is a hard stare at what it is to be an entrepreneur in a world where “self-made” professionals are surfacing day by day. The only relatable character is a brilliant turn by Riz Ahmed, Lou’s intern and moral compass, who struggles with his part in the business. Of course as things progress, Lou’s passenger becomes more than a passive companion.
There is excellent support from Rene Russo as the feisty network producer but the picture belongs to Gyllenhaal who puts on a nervy, unsettling and career-best performance. Gilroy, clearly against the violence he’s portraying, leaves just the right amount out of Nightcrawler to make it a wonderful first time watch, thrilling and powerful till the last frame.
(Shown in English with Spanish subtitles.)