USA 2013
Starts November 13, 2014
Directed by: Dan Gilroy
Writing credits: Dan Gilroy
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, Riz Ahmed
Length: 117 minutes
This suspenseful thriller dives into the sordid (under-) world of freelance nighttime-crime journalists in L.A. From accidents to murder—their prey is everything that’s bloody and violent. Their customers are the local TV news-programs that compete in serving their viewers the most gruesome events and most graphic pictures of the night at breakfast.
Jake Gyllenhaal gives a terrific performance as Lou Bloom, a petty thief who stumbles onto his new career when he witnesses those ‘nightcrawlers’ at work, at an accident scene. He is intelligent and a quick learner but, without any formal education, he can’t land a job. This is his calling. It’s scary to watch his ruthlessness in outdoing his competition, creepy his sociopathic streak that increasingly unsettles his assistant (Ahmed) and even the scrupulous news director (Russo) who came to depend on his footage.
The film is fast paced and features exiting car chases and breathtaking shots of L.A. at night (camera Robert Elswit). ()