Nightcrawler (2014) Movie Review

Wait, this isn't X-Men

Have you ever believed your own philosophy so completely that you were willing to go further than you ever thought possible in order to achieve your self perceived destiny? What if you not only subscribed to that ideal, but also were willing to do whatever you needed to do, whether it was lying, stealing, manipulating or just being a regular ol' motherfucker. That's what you get from Nightcrawler, the directorial debut from Dan Gilroy, a movie so full of ideologies and anarchy that you'll have a hard time believing what is happening.

Lou Bloom (Jake Gyllenhaal) is a hard worker. He's the type of guy that spouts lines like "If you want to win the lottery, you have to make the money to buy the ticket". When Lou figures out that he has a knack for being a freelance stringer, (guy who records events at a crime scene right when they happen, then sells it to a news station), he sets himself down a dark road of blood, twisted metal and, potentially, murder. You see, when you're a stringer, blood sells. So with the help of his assistant, a homeless man named Rick (Riz Ahmed), Lou sets out to record as many gruesome things as possible, and perhaps impress Nina (Rene Russo), an executive at the local news station, along the way.

First and foremost, this movie does not function without Jake Gyllenhaal. Looking gaunt and a tad terrifying, Gyllenhaal gives, perhaps, a career best performance. We've seen him play vvulnerable damaged, charming, witty and earnest. But the thing that separates Lou from every character that Gyllenhaal has ever played is that Lou is unhinged. He's a psycho, and he comes across as a ticking time bomb. He's terrifying, unsympathetic and has a stare that will cut right through you. It's a masterful, restrained performance from one of the best actors of his generation, and one that should garner some serious awards buzz.

Also very strong are the supporting cast, made up of, the aforementioned, Riz Ahmed and Russo, as well as Bill Paxton as a rival stringer named Joe. All three are great; Ahmed seems to effortlessly play Rick as a bohemian who gets caught up in Lou's fantasy and feels like he's getting in too deep. Russo is at top form as Nina, who will just as quickly praise your work, as she will call you out on bullshit. And it seems like Paxton is having a mini character actor resurgence. He was great in small roles in Edge of Tomorrow (Or is it Live. Die. Repeat?) and Million Dollar Arm, and he's fantastic here as Gyllenhaal's foil. I don't know what to call his mini-comeback. Paxtonnaisance sounds gross.

Writer/director Dan Gilroy, brother of Tony Gilroy (writer/director of Michael Clayton), crafts an interesting story that often plays on our morals. Is what is happening right? That's what I asked myself a lot of the time. The dialogue is crisp and feels real, and his direction is very good for the most part. At times, it feels like things could have been a bit tighter, though. However, it's a strong debut, and one that I hope he can follow up. 

The film mainly suffers from being a tad overlong, and has a bit of trouble finding it's footing in the first 20-25 minutes. What particularly bothered me was the score, by James Newton Howard, because it simply didn't fit the tone of the movie during that stretch. The score during the final two thirds is great, but the first little while feels like something you'd hear in an episode of Friday Night Lights.

Ultimately, I ended up enjoying the movie. Yeah, it sounds like I had issues with it, but I loved the way the story ended up playing out. And, oh yeah, Gyllenhaal acts so damn well it makes my nuts hurt. It's a story of greed that plays out well thanks to Gyllenhaal's grandstanding performance and my love of self-serving monologues.

Grade: B+