Production Company: Bold Films – Genre: Crime Thriller – Country of Origin: USA
Writing Quality
5
Duration/Pacing
4
Acting Quality
4
Enjoyment
4
Production Quality
4
Staying Power
4
Cast
4
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Final Score
4.14
I think I may have been sleeping on Jake Gyllenhaal. Maybe it’s how much I don’t care for Donnie Darko or the irrational connection I’ve made between him and Tobey McGuire, but for years I’ve avoided his movies, with Nightcrawler and Zodiac being my first exceptions. While the latter film is also great, Nightcrawler is probably the best role I’ve seen Gyllenhaal portray and the performance really sticks with you and carries the movie. The plot focuses on Gyllenhaal, a clearly mental disturbed creep and conman, as he infiltrates the morally grey world of ‘stringing’, the practice of chasing down local tragedies to get film or pictures for nightly news agencies. Gyllenhaal’s character is completely off-putting, but manages to rope others into his bizarre night life. From tampering with crime scenes to get better lighting to blackmailing a professional contact for sexual favors, Gyllenhaal’s devolution throughout the movie is hard to watch but riveting at the same time. By the time the movie’s final moments are coming to pass, you are both horrified and yet completely unsurprised that character has stooped to such lows. Even more disconcerting, the film ends on a note that is likely to make your skin crawl (in a good way) and can hardly be called a ‘happy ending’. Possibly not the most popular movie he’s done in recent years, Nightcrawler is most of all an amazing performance focusing on one of cinema’s worst and most despicable characters. If you can stomach thrillers like this, you won’t be disappointed. From start to finish this movie will hold your attention and stick with you long after the end credits have rolled.
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