You know a film is well-directed when it can get under your skin without having to resort to a smorgasbord of jump scares, violence and gore. Such is the case with “Nightcrawler,” the new film starring Jake Gyllenhaal as a sociopathic news correspondent who spends his nights seeking out the most violent and disturbing video footage around Los Angeles. “Nightcrawler” is a rare beast, one that asks audiences to laugh at the film while also posing some interesting and important questions regarding what the news is versus what it should be. It’s satire done right, and thankfully, the film is also hugely entertaining.
“Nightcrawler” opens with Gyllenhaal’s character, Louis Bloom, working as a petty thief stealing scrap metal to sell to a scrapyard owner. After happening upon a car accident and witnessing a couple of men with video cameras document the accident, he learns that local news stations are willing to pay for graphic footage of accidents and crimes. He promptly buys a police scanner and a camcorder before deciding to pursue a career as a stringer, someone who records graphic accidents and crimes in order to sell the footage to the highest bidding news station.
Bloom struggles a bit at first, but after a few failed attempts at getting good footage, he realizes that he has to take risks that other stringers won’t in order to make a name for himself. He gets better at finding shocking scenes, but it doesn’t take long for his ambition to set him down a terrifying path.
Bloom’s ambition is actually one of the main focuses of the film. Much of his dialogue sounds like it was lifted verbatim either out of a self-help book or a marketing textbook. He views every decision he makes as a business decision, carefully weighing the pros and cons of each option. Although it doesn’t seem like it at first, Bloom is rational to a fault. He cannot connect to a single person, and throughout the entirety of the film, he is not shown to have one friend. He views people as either rewards or obstacles, and he isn’t above disposing of an obstacle entirely in order to get what he wants. He is the perfect sociopath, and as a result, one of the most interesting characters I’ve ever seen in a film.
Watching Bloom work is riveting. He is utterly disconnected from the rest of the world, and because of this, he makes for an astounding businessman. His tactics would be lauded in a corporate culture, and his knack for manipulation would make him an intimidating negotiator.
Obviously, a morally conscience audience would never root for Bloom, but that’s all part of the satirical genius of “Nightcrawler.” Bloom’s story is, by all accounts, an uplifting success story of a young, ambitious man who starts out with nothing and lifts himself up by the bootstraps in order to become one of the most renowned figures in his industry. Society has become increasingly focused on individual success within the business world, placing a higher value on the ability to make money instead of the ability to help other people. Based solely on corporate values, Louis Bloom should be regarded as a hero.
Gyllenhaal really is fantastic as Bloom. He presents an intensity that rivals Robert De Niro in “Taxi Driver” and is never less than unsettling. The rest of the cast does a fine job, too. The cinematography is gorgeous and the score is engaging, but it will always be Gyllenhaal’s performance that sticks out to me as the main reason to see “Nightcrawler.” Awards season is right around the corner, and if you feel like getting ahead on watching all of the nominated performances, “Nightcrawler” is a pretty good place to start.
