A Late Night Review on Nightcrawler

Hi Late Night Watchers! This week's late night watch was none other than crime thriller Nightcrawler. Written and directed by Dan Gilroy, this intense watch starring Jake Gyllenhaal follows what happens when a thief-turned-cameraman begins to go too far to capture the perfect shot.

 

Nightcrawler was released in 2014 to favorable reviews. It's a thriller that is equal parts intense as it is creepy. The film introduces us to Lou, who doesn't have a job and gets by from stealing. He witnesses a car crash which is where he sees freelance cameramen film the crash to then sell to news stations. He decides to become a part of it. 

Lou as a character is really interesting to watch. Gyllenhaal portrays the character really well and makes him super believable. It's evident that Lou is a sociopath. He doesn't seem to have any regard for human life or boundaries. He films the crimes with ease, never showing any sign of hurt or concern for the victims. In one scene he goes so far as to move one of the dead bodies into a different position to achieve what he sees as "the perfect shot." He also manipulates Nina, who runs a new station, into having sex with him or he wouldn't give her the footage he records anymore.

The atmosphere and tone of the film is very dark and uneasy. There is no point in the film that you are ever rooting for Lou which is a really interesting choice. If anything you are rooting for his assistant, Rick. Poor Rick. Rick gets involved in Lou's schemes and filming because he is desperate to get money. Lou berates Rick constantly and uses him to his own advantage. Lou continues to go deeper and deeper into doing immoral things such as staging crimes and injuring his competition.

****SPOILER ALERT*****

In one scene of the film, Lou arrives at a house where a few murders have just occurred. He sees the bad guys and hides. When he goes into the house, he records, in graphic detail, the blood and dead bodies. Although having footage of the murderers, he hides it from the police. It is revealed this is because he wants to stage their arrest and lure them into more crime so he could film it and make more money.

 

This all comes to a head at the climax of the film when Lou sets his plan in motion. His plan leads to a shoot out with the cops, and a massive car chase which leads to a crash. Lou, fearful over Rick having leverage of his actions over him, betrays him and lures the final killer to shoot Rick who then dies at the scene. 

If you were looking for a happy ending in which Lou gets caught, then this is the wrong movie. Lou instead is promoted and evades arrest and being discovered for what he has done. The movie ends with him recruiting more "assistants" and taking over as the sole crime camera recording team on the scene. 

 

 ****END SPOILERS****

 

This ending angered me when I first watched it because I was hoping for justice and for him to be caught, however, now I understand it's purpose. The film is about more than just crime filming and Lou. It's about how the media insists on prying into people's lives so much that they become desensitized to tragedies and continue to film with no regard. Society has become like Lou especially with the media, and although we hope to stop it, it can never really be.

Overall, Nightcrawler was a really interesting and dark thriller that I enjoyed watching. Although some parts angered me, that's the beauty of film. It's not all supposed to be happily ever after. If you're looking for a dark and intriguing film to watch one rainy weekend, this may be the film to do it.