Lou Bloom is a man desperate for a second chance in life; out of work and resorting to petty crime to get by, no job would be too small and no negative too harsh to defeat his purpose. A casual encounter with freelance journalists shooting a car crash shows him the way to the sleazy world of local TV news and its no holds barred, constant search for sensationalist footage. After veteran news editor Nina notices his unscrupulous potential and tips him on what works best for her audience – namely crimes in affluent areas – Lou hits the road, armed solely with a scanner to listen to police transmissions and helped by his newly recruited assistant shouting GPS directions, aiming to reach the scenes of crimes first and sneak around for the most exclusive material. Arriving before the police to a house where a triple homicide has just been committed will change his luck.
Dan Gilroy, writer of The Bourne Legacy’s screenplay, jumps into the director’s chair with this instant cult classic that combines dark media satire with edge of the seat thriller, boasting a totally assured, gripping pace. But despite his many achievements, Nightcrawler is Jake Gyllenhaal’s show. The star deserves an Oscar for a terrific performance that impresses not just for the demanding physical transformation involved, leaving behind his juvenile athletic charms for a creepy near-living dead appearance; but also for his depiction of a broken man, devoid of all human empathy, obsessively motivated to get ahead in life and playing by the self-help rules for success of online business courses. The excellent screenplay also provides notable roles for a recovered for the big screen Rene Russo as the hardened news editor and Brit Riz Ahmed, fresh from getting nominated for the Gotham awards, as Lou’s unfortunate assistant.
Piling up comparisons with such timeless classics as Network for its critical views on the workings of television; Drive and its slick nocturnal ride around L.A.’s roads and underworld or Taxi Driver’s take on urban alienation, Nightcrawler also gets a very distinctive and contemporary edge from its frightening look at the state of American entrepreneurial dream post financial crisis, where opportunities are scarce; work poorly paid; competence fierce and it seems the only recipe left for success is to become one’s own brand and dedicate oneself 24/7 to its development.
★★★★½
