Nightcrawler
Overview
Nightcrawler is a 2014 neo-noir psychological thriller film written and directed by Dan Gilroy, starring Jake Gyllenhaal as Louis "Lou" Bloom, a driven, sociopathic freelancer who films violent events in Los Angeles and sells the footage to a local news station. Lou is a thief and a liar. He steals metal, watches, and anything else he can sell. He is desperate for a job. One night, he sees a car accident and watches a group of "nightcrawlers" — freelance videographers who film the accident. He realizes that he can do that. He buys a cheap camera and a police scanner, and he begins chasing fires, accidents, and crimes. He films a car crash and sells the footage to Nina Romina (Rene Russo), the news director of a struggling local station. She is impressed by the graphic nature of his footage. She tells him to get more of the same. Lou is a fast learner. He hires an assistant, Rick (Riz Ahmed), a homeless man who needs the money. He manipulates Rick, pays him little, and threatens him constantly. He also manipulates Nina, offering her exclusive footage in exchange for a sexual relationship. The film follows Lou as he becomes increasingly ruthless. He films a murder-suicide, moving the bodies to get a better angle. He sabotages his competitor's car, causing a fatal crash. He manipulates a crime scene, directing the police away from a suspect he is following. The climax of the film involves a home invasion that Lou films, following the killers as they drive away. He refuses to help the dying victims, instead filming their deaths. He kills his assistant Rick to eliminate a witness. The film ends with Lou becoming a successful business owner, his own company, Video Production News. He hires a new assistant, a young woman. He tells her that his philosophy is "if you want to win the lottery, you have to make the money to buy a ticket." Nightcrawler was a critical and commercial success, earning over $50 million on an $8.5 million budget. Jake Gyllenhaal was widely praised for his performance, which was nominated for a Golden Globe. The film is a dark satire of the media, a portrait of a sociopath, and a brilliant commentary on the American dream.
