Nightcrawler (2014) Review

            When it comes to movies, what matters to you? Do you care more for performances and characters or the story?  I, for one, can only answer this once I’ve finished the movie because no matter what, my answer will always change. In this case, I don’t really know which one I’d choose. I really can’t say much about this movie without spoiling parts of the movie, but what I can say is that Jake Gyllenhaal deserves an Academy Award nomination for his role as Louis Bloom. It’s his role in Nightcrawler that made me wish he would be the Joker for the DC Cinematic Universe. It’s seriously that good.

            Nightcrawler is basically about a man named Louis Bloom who drives around Los Angeles recording accidents and crimes in order to sell it to local news stations. It doesn’t really sound all that appealing, I know, but then you have to take into consideration that Gyllenhaal is playing a sociopath and it becomes an incredibly dark and creepy movie. Because of this, Lou does not feel what he does throughout the course of the movie is wrong even though some of his actions are illegal. Yet, you can’t help but want to watch how far his character is willing to go in order to get what he wants. And let me tell you, he gets what he wants. He never went to college, yet he talks as if he has a major in English, but he also has a vast knowledge of many things due to constant attention to his computer. It’s through these skills which he has mastered that he is able to dominate at being a “nightcrawler”.

            The supporting characters are great, especially Rene Russo. She’s the only one Lou really respects and trusts throughout this movie, and she’s quite a powerful character herself. Given that she controls her news station, she has to be strong in order to gain control over her business with Lou. Then there’s Rick who’s played by Riz Ahmed. He’s a man who desperately needs money, so he becomes Lou’s assistant throughout the movie. He essentially is what humanizes the movie for me. Without Rick to constantly tell you what Lou is doing is both ethically wrong and illegal, you wouldn’t even realize how insane Lou really is. Because without Rick, all you’re witnessing is a madman prowling the night for a lead in order to sell it to the highest bidder. Rick essentially assumes the role of the viewer and how any sane person would react in a night out with Lou.

            When it comes to the plot and script of the story, I have to admit that it’s not the best in the world. It does drag on with some unnecessary scenes in a movie that relies on its images. Since it has to heavily rely on what it’s showing you, the dialogue is at times weak especially when an exchange is happening between a character and Lou. I attribute this to how developed and focused they made the Lou character without really taking the other characters into consideration. There’s a detective, for instance, who is supposed to be tough and can take on Lou’s personality, but she ultimately fails pretty badly. It’s through these instances where I feel they never really fleshed out the rest of the cast, but then again, all anyone cares about, including the viewer, is Lou. Even the plot could have had some work done, but like I said, we’re only really watching it for Lou.

            Nightcrawler isn’t about a man’s descent into madness. The man is already mad. It’s his actions that really define the movie. This along with the powerful Renee Russo and the humanizing Riz Ahmed as Rick, make the movie an enjoyable watch from start to finish. I give it a B+ for an original yet creepy story about a sociopath who has to get what he wants. Overall, I don’t feel like it deserves a Best Picture nomination, but it does deserve some Best Actor and Actress nominations for some amazing performances.