Review of Nightcrawler (2014) by Spangle — 28 Jul 2015

Beautifully shot, wonderfully acted, and very well written, Nightcrawler is a great debut for director Dan Gilroy, another feather in the cap for cinematographer Robert Elswitt, and yet another example of why Jake Gyllenhaal is one of the top actors working today.

Creepy and unhinged, Gyllenhaal's performance in the lead was great, as you truly believe every word he says and all of his mannerisms and oddities. However, to me, one of the films best features was the cinematography, in particular the lighting.

In line with other great films that capture Los Angeles at night such as Drive and Collateral, Nightcrawler is beautifully shot and lit. Another major plus for this one would have to be the way it operates as a biting criticism of the television news industry.

Showing them as morally questionable and willing to do anything for ratings, this one certainly shows the shady side of television and raises many questions that should be answered, such as the morality of showing some of the footage shown.

Overall, Nightcrawler is a thrilling, intense, and very creepy, experience that should help propel both Gilroy and Gyllenhaal to further success.