Nightcrawler movie review

He’s what is known as a “nightcrawler”, a videographer whose obscene antics make for riveting viewing. The character, Louis Bloom, is a monster. He shunts all opposition aside (even if it means tampering with a rival’s brakes) in a relentless quest to find stories that will ratchet up the ratings for the TV channel.

We first meet Bloom as a petty thief, stealing scrap metal and selling it. One day he sees a roadside accident and notices a man, Joe Loder (Bill Paxton), filming it. When Louis asks him what he’s doing, Joe tells him he’s recording the event for TV news, before uttering: “If it bleeds, it leads”.

It intrigues Bloom, who then acquires a cheap camera and police scanner and tries it for himself. His first few attempts fail but he manages to get some exclusive footage, which he sells to Nina Romina (Renee Russo), the news director of LA’s lowest rated station.

They form a cosy relationship and Bloom becomes increasingly daring, ignoring ethics and occasionally breaking the law, to “get the shot”. He hires a clueless assistant, Rick (Riz Ahmed), and is soon challenging Joe for the position of top local nightcrawler.

Bloom’s obsession drives him into darker territory, where his reckless actions endanger lives and cause the police to take notice. But nothing is too extreme as long as he gets footage that will rivet viewers and improve ratings.

Although a work of fiction, first-time director Dan Gilroy’s Nightcrawler, contains an element of truth. It has much to say about the ethics of TV journalism in America today.

This approach makes it a dark and cynical production and uncomfortably tense at times.

NEWS BREAKER. Jake Gyllenhaal as Louis Bloom in Dan Gilroy’s Nightcrawler. Pictures: Ster-Kinekor

Gyllenhaal’s skeletal appearance is unsettling, which sits well with the character’s unstable personality. He sports a false smile, his eyes are dead and his good manners mask a drive that has no moral compass whatsoever.

Though the film stretches the credibility factor at times, and the episodic narrative encounters occasional pacing issues, it remains a deliciously twisted piece of work.