Nightcrawler (2014)

One of my favorite films of 2014, it’s a true neo-noir masterpiece. The film isn’t afraid to go against the mainstream film conventions and will leave you horrified, yet oddly intrigued. The music and visuals are superb, similar to Michael Mann’s work. Also, it serves as a dark critique of the news media and features Jake Gyllenhaal at his best playing one of the most memorable cinematic sociopaths of recent memory.

Gyllenhall plays Louis Bloom, a true loner & criminal who makes his living in LA by stealing valuable items and negotiating what he sees is a fair price to the buyer. He becomes morbidly intrigued by the accidents and crime in LA and begins shooting footage of them to sell to a local news station, effectively becoming a stringer. His skills and work attract the attention of the station’s morning news director, Nina Romina (Rene Russo). He also hires on an assistant, Rick (Riz Ahmed), a young man who’s financially desperate and struggles to keep himself on the same wavelength as Louis. As Louis advances his way towards a genuine career, the morality and ethics of his actions leave us feeling disgusted and questionable of the news media as a whole.

This film is a truly remarkable dark character study. You find yourself relating to Louis if you consider yourself an outsider or detached from humanity like he is. He’s a smart guy no doubt, but isn’t quite able to fit in with normal society. It’s through being a video stringer (aka “nightcrawler”) does he discover that he has a true opportunity to establish a career. It’s perfectly fitting for him because he’s so detached from humanity and lacking in emotion that he sees each horrific scene or accident as merely a transaction or a sale. He’s also very manipulative and stubborn in terms of his business conduct; he wants all negotiations to be in his favor and uses any leverage he can to get what he wants. When Joe Loder (Bill Paxton), a rival video stinger proves to be tough competition, he’s not above resorting to sabotage. Towards the end when Rick really begins to question and defy him, Louis shows his true colors. Rick is easily the most likeable character in the film and represents the “common person”, someone who’s just not cut out for such a grueling and unsettling profession.

Also, it’s fascinating to see Louis try to develop a romantic relationship with Nina. His inability to realize that threatening a womab won’t win your way into her heart gives him that dark edge. Nina herself isn’t a righteous character and represents the news media in a very dark manner. She sees the horrific and graphic footage Louis shoots and sells her as merely an opportunity to give her station an advantage rating’s wise. Her approval of the home invasion footage in particular leaves you feeling uneasy and cynical. Louis sitting on the footage, especially that parts that he could have (and should have) turned over to the police really demonstrates his lack of empathy.

It’s great and different to see a recent film with such an intriguing and reprehensible protagonist. Director & writer Dan Gilroy isn’t afraid to take us on a dark cinematic journey and portray the news media in a negative light, leaving you cynical and questionable of it. It just as well leaves you thinking that maybe you do need to be detached from humanity like Louis to be a “nightcrawler”.