In a lot of ways, Nightcrawler is the culmination of everything Gyllenhaal
has been building to since setting off on a different path, one that took him
away from mainstream flicks like Prince of Persia, or feeble rom-coms
like Love and Other Drugs. As he's taken on darker roles in films like Prisoners,
Enemy, and End of Watch, Gyllenhaal has literally transformed
into a completely different actor, and it's fascinating to watch. In Nightcrawler
he plays Louis Bloom, an awkward, somewhat manic low-life criminal looking
for work in nocturnal Los Angeles but finding none. Gaunt, sickly, yet
energized, Bloom is like Norman Bates given the dangerous energy of a cornered
animal. Tired of pawning off stolen goods (for which he's willing to hurt
people to get), he happens upon a burning wreck on the freeway and, rather than
offering a hand of help, Louis comes up with a completely self-serving idea.
Noticing the throng of freelance journalists at the scene, nightcrawlers, Louis
decides this is the career for him.
And of course, he's right. Nightcrawling rewards those who find and capture
the most gruesome, violent footage in order to sell it off to the news stations
for easy money. "If it bleeds, it leads". It's a profession tailored
to the unscrupulous, the psychotic, and it's pretty clear that Louis fits the
bill and probably has for a long time. But he's also a voracious learner,
leeching off the other freelancers like seasoned videographer Joe Loder (Bill
Paxton), who doesn't know quite what to make of this strange but tenacious
newcomer. Hiring an equally desperate but innocent homeless man (Riz Ahmed),
Louis begins to carve out his niche. It's a dog-eat-dog gig, and soon Louis is
earning top dollar by selling his graphic footage to Nina (Rene Russo), an
unscrupulous TV news producer desperate for higher ratings. Her enthusiasm for
the death and violence he brings borders on the orgasmic. Why bother asking
where he got it from? Part of the thrill of Nightcrawler is watching the
power struggle between the two; their relationship going from professional to
slightly erotic to totally creepy. 
What starts out like a darkly comic look at one man's climb up the greasy
ladder of trash journalism slowly unfolds into something more. It takes a
little while for writer/director Dan Gilroy to get his footing, but once things
are set into motion Nightcrawler is simply enthralling. As a twisted
look at the corrosive state of modern journalism, the film stands on par with Network
and Broadcast News, while offering Gyllenhaal the kind of iconic
role people will be talking about for years. Gilroy's understanding of the
newsroom atmosphere is a little suspect, and let's face it 90% of the stuff
Louis gets on air would never make it through the door. But it works in the
context of the thriller Gilroy is crafting, one that forces us to take at face
value some rather extraordinary circumstances. And yet we're so engrossed by
the ever-increasing stakes that we're willing to along for the ride, which
turns out to be completely worth it. 
It can't be understated just how good Gyllenhaal is here, clearly delivering
the best work of his career. But it's not just him deserving of praise. Russo
gets the kind of juicy role women of her age don't get often enough anymore, and
even if it's only because her husband is the director she doesn't waste the
opportunity. Watching the charismatic Ahmed tone it down to play Louis'
indecisive and sappy partner takes a little getting used to, and every scene
that features Paxton is a treat. Their performances are bolstered by the
gorgeous cinematography by Robert Elswit, whose seedy Los Angeles we've seen
previously in the works of Paul Thomas Anderson. Gilroy plunges us into a
slimy, sleazy morass where someone like Louis Bloom can take root, and it's a
place that should look eerily, scarily familiar. Much like its demented
protagonist, Nightcrawler isn't afraid to cross the line to keep us in
its grip.
Rating: 4 out of 5
