Courtesy of Bold Films
Courtesy of Bold Films

“Nightcrawler” is a crime thriller written and directed by Dan Gilroy, telling the story of Louis Bloom (Jake Gyllenhaal), a driven man desperate for work and the desire to make a name for himself by any means necessary. When Bloom witnesses a car crash on the freeway he gets a brief introduction into the world of video journalism. Bloom acquires a camcorder and a radio scanner and slowly begins to muscle his way into the world of freelance crime journalism. The average plot of “Nightcrawler” is augmented by interesting characters and a unique environment, making it a superior piece of entertainment compared to most modern crime dramas.

The film’s plot suffers from a severe lack of characters: There are only three characters with enough screen time to be considered main characters, but only one of them has an effect on the plot. Because of this, the plot is simplistic. There is less room for conflict. There are no twists. And the story is moved by the actions of one character. Throughout his journey, Bloom seems to get everything he wants with little or no effort, so it makes the story seem as if everything is just falling into place. This takes away from the experience because there is no audience involvement in the story.

However, the film’s lackluster plot is overshadowed by its lead character and an incredible performance by Gyllenhaal. Bloom is not your average protagonist — he is morally reprehensible. He manipulates crime scenes to get the footage he wants, he withholds information from the police and he makes a living off of people having the worst day of their life. But Bloom’s sociopathic nature make him interesting. He’s charming, charismatic and, although the audience has all the reasons in the world to not root for him, they will be swayed by Gyllenhaal’s silver tongue as if they were a character on screen themselves.

The film tackles ethics in the newsroom underneath the surface, which makes it all the more thought-provoking. Television news director Nina Romina (Rene Russo) searches for hard-hitting stories but must also keep her job. She does so by finding certain stories that appeal to suburban families. Top stories follow victims who are “well off, preferably white,” and perpetrators who are minorities — she dubs it, “urban crime creeping into the suburbs.” The film becomes less of a crime drama and more of a question on the ethics of journalism.

The final touch for the film is its setting. First, the audience is taken into the unique world of “night crawling,” listening to police scanners late at night for crimes in the hopes of being the first to get good video footage to sell to news studios. Second, Los Angeles seems to be a character itself. The idea of Southern California being a cultural melting pot adds to the story as there is a heavy emphasis on race and news coverage. For example, Bloom sells footage of a white family shot in Granada Hills for $15,000 whereas a group of Hispanics killed in a roach coach only sell for $3,000. And the urban LA area where most of the film is shot adds authenticity and style to the film, making it somewhat of a neo-noir, similar to films like “Drive.” Robert Elswit’s cinematography will have audiences marveling at the beautiful LA nightlife.

“Nightcrawler” is a film that goes beyond the plot. The film is not another one of your meaningless Hollywood blockbusters. The film aims to make a statement. And Jake Gyllenhaal’s stunning performance along with the innate atmosphere of the LA nightlife make the film a superior piece of work.

Rating: 4 stars