Review of Nightcrawler (2014) by Jay D — 17 Jun 2015

If ever a movie 'suffered' from incredible acting, this is that movie.

'Nightcrawler' is dirty L.A. thriller about the underground world of guerrilla journalism. People who chase down gruesome stories to capture it on film and sell the footage to local news. Its a sick way to make a living, but hey - somebody has to do it, right?

Enter Jake Gyllenhaal.

Damn this dude can ACT! All the credit goes to Jake Gyllenhaal, who gives an avant-garde performance as Louis Bloom. Louis is a solitary street hustler who happens to be a sociopathic savant. He has a knack for locking in on ONE thing with crazed enthusiasm - but with ZERO regard for other people or consequences. Sort of an ickier version of Matt Damon's 'Talented Mr. Ripley'.

It's very clear early in the movie that the man has ISSUES. And Gyllenhaal plays this up with gleeful abandon! I mean, you seriously despise this guy - and yet, Jake manages to bring a bit of sympathy to the character. a Very tiny slice of sympathy. Those big doe eyes become crazy-face saucers in an instant. You go from wanting him to succeed - to wanting to punch him in the face in the same breath lol.

But since his character Bloom happens to live in a microwave society that rewards instant gratification - he survives with the same resilience as say, a cockroach. And like a cockroach he seems to end up in places he should NOT be. I mean, seriously, this Bloom character is utterly reprehensible - and that isn't a word I get to use very often. . If it were anyone else I doubt I could finish this movie.

Bloom exists in a world of storm chasers and amateur celebrity. A world where people behaving badly have TV deals, Antoine Dodson ("hide your kids! Hide your wife!) has a platinum record, and psychos like Louis Bloom gets rich from tragedy.

The same way a cockroach will survive a nuclear fallout, Louis Bloom's bug-eyed crazy will thrive in our seedy society.

I've experienced an actual SOCIOPATH in real life and it is not a pretty sight. A sociopath has the ability to be very charming and is also very capable. But they are also crafty and manipulative, and eventually destructive. A sociopath is hyper self-aware, with ZERO empathy for others. It is a very disturbing thing to witness. People like that need professional help....

Which is why this movie bothered me.

I'll be honest - this is a 4 1/2 star movie with a 5-star performance. But I felt UNCOMFORTABLE giving it a higher rating because I felt like I was rewarding terrible deeds due to mental illness. 'Nightcrawler' deserves high praise on film merit and sheer acting talent, but I don't think I'm watching it again.