Nightcrawler (2014)

Genre: Thriller

Directed by: Dan Gilroy

Starring: Jake Gyllenhal, Rene Russo, Riz Ahmed

Running time: 117 minutes

Louis Bloom is a thief and hustler, stealing things to sell them. In spite of his lack of ethics, he is determined to find something better for himself. When he sees two freelance cameramen filming a car crash to then sell the footage to news channels, he gets inspired and decides to get into the business of filming various accidents and crimes for money.

Jake Gyllenhal offers a mesmerizing performance in Nightcrawler. The way he walks, talks, looks and acts, he makes Louis Bloom come to life as an absolute sociopath, very smart but void of any notion of ethics and decency. It was also nice to see Rene Russo at work, which doesn’t happen enough these days. She is also very convincing as a news director willing to toss many principles aside for the sake of ratings.

Nightcrawler is a very effective neo-noir thriller. The story drags a bit at times, but the acting is as solid as it gets. This film also offers a very realistic look at some news channels out there.

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