NIGHTCRAWLER

Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal
Directed by: Dan Gilroy
Rotten Tomatoes score: 95%

     Nightcrawler is a movie crime thriller film about a guy named Louis Bloom, played by Jake Gylenhall. Taking place in modern day Los Angeles, Louis gives up his life of petty crime to pursue becoming a "Stringer" or free lance cameraman, who films car accidents, or incidents around the city and sells it to local news stations for the highest amount. Eventually, he starts his own company and at one point tampers with a car accident scene to gain better footage. The climax of the movie involves Louis setting up a pair of local robbers to get caught by police at a donut shop, all the while knowing they are armed and would most likely start a shootout with police. He withholds this information from police and patiently waits with his camera ready to film the shootout happen. The shootout eventually leads to a high speed car chase, where a crash occurs and the robber is lying on the street. Louis tells his employee to film the robber as he is lying on the ground, because the robber is dead. As it turns out, the robber is not dead, and shoots Louis' employee, fatally wounding him. Louis begins to record his dying employee with total disregard for his well being, only concerned with getting some great footage to sell to the news stations. Police question Louis the robbers, and the related incidents, suspect he is lying, but cannot prove it. The movie ends as Louis expands his operation by hiring more employees.
    This movie had a very good critical reception, some even called it a modern masterpiece. This movie is not for the average movie go-er. Its a dark film, twisted, and at times bloody. Jake Gylenhall's performance amplifies the murky, cut-throat world of Los Angeles, and one man's desperation to carve out a place for himself in the city. His desperation to succeed is shown through his character's creepy charm, and his negligence of basic humanity. Gyllenhaal gives the best performance of his career, displaying extreme anger, extreme confidence, gritty determination and a creepy charm all within the context of the character. This was a close "Best Actor" Academy Award nomination type of performance. Unfortunately for him, he was not nominated. Nevertheless, he will be nominated soon, as this performance, along with his other recent film Prisoners allowed his career to take a big step up the ladder.
     Overall, I give this movie a 7 out of 10, it has beautiful cinematography of the nigh shots of the streets of Los Angeles, a near Oscar nominated performance, an official Oscar nominated screenplay, and a truly unique storyline, mixed with mystery, drama, crime, and suspense. With all that said, its worth watching once, but I would not want to watch this movie again, its just too creepy.