Nightcrawler is a fantastic movie, not only because it is so well shot, well written and well acted, but because it is so relevant to events that occurred this year.
Given how many widespread tragedies have been covered by major news networks, Nightcrawler could not have arrived at a better time. The film is smart, tense and unflinching in its portrayal of the American press.
Nightcrawler follows Lou Bloom, a petty criminal who decides to try his hand at filming late night, newsworthy stories. Jake Gyllenhaal’s portrayal of Bloom alone is worthy of note. His disturbing performance was one of the best roles I’ve seen all year and a demonstration of what it means to truly commit to a part. What raises the film from good to great, however, is the caliber of writing. The movie manages to critique the ugly side of American news organizations without ever feeling exaggerated while exhibiting fine character development for bloom.
All this, along with the visuals are stunning, but the score is never quite as memorable. That’s not to say the music is bad, but given how unique some aspects are, it would have been nice to hear more distinctive tracks.
But even with a less than remarkable soundtrack, however, Nightcrawler is still a terrific movie that you need to see. Recently, the American public has been forced to develop an opinion on events that we are only give a fraction of the information about. And even the details we are given are heavily distorted and exploited to gain ratings for whoever chooses to deliver them. Nightcrawler is one representation of such practices, and its important that everyone sees it.
