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For the month of December, I have decided to challenge myself and watch one new film every day. Think of it as a Christmas advent of sorts. Throughout this time I have been taking many recommendations from friends, working my way through by watchlist and trolling streaming apps for anything new and exciting. While doing so, I stumbled across Nightcrawler, which just dropped on Netflix. Sadly, a film that I have already seen, but one that deserves to be in the spotlight.
Nightcrawler is a 2014 neo-noir psychological thriller film written and directed by Dan Gilroy in his directorial debut. It stars Jake Gyllenhaal, who also served as a producer on the movie. The supporting cast includes Rene Russo, Bill Paxton, and Riz Ahmed. This film is where I first learned of Ahmed, who quickly became one of my favourite actors.
Despite filming presenting some challenges, having to shoot in more than 80 locations, the film was met with widespread praise and gained a cult following.
The film’s synopsis states: “Los Angeles denizen Louis Bloom (Gyllenhaal) survives by scavenging and petty theft. He stumbles into a new career as a cameraman and – armed with a camcorder and police scanner – begins nocturnal forays across the city in search of shocking and grisly crimes. When he catches the eye of a shopworn news director (Russo) who welcomes the chance to raise her station’s ratings, Louis goes to increasingly greater lengths to catch the “money shot.”
The film has a near-perfect score of 95% on Rotten Tomatoes, with the critics’ consensus stating: “Restless, visually sleek, and powered by a lithe star performance from Jake Gyllenhaal, Nightcrawler offers dark, thought-provoking thrills.”
I remember how slick the film felt; it was like nothing I’d ever watched before and really opened my eyes to the world of cinema as a teenager. I also went into a complete rabbit hole of watching and following Gyllenhaal’s films after watching it.
I awarded the film 4.5 stars out of five, and I’d urge anyone, even the tiniest bit curious, to give it a watch.
Nightcrawler is now available to stream on Netflix.
