If you are a fan of any TV show, movie, or anime where the main character is an anti-hero, then Nightcrawler is the movie for you. I recently watched this movie in theaters, so I figured that while it’s still fresh in my mind I better get my thoughts about this amazing movie out into the world.
As you can probably tell from my positive intro, I am in love with this movie. Nightcrawler is about a man named Louis Bloom, who needs a job and is so desperate that he is shown at the beginning of the film cutting fences from their posts to sell at a scrap yard. On his way home, he comes across a car wreck. A few freelance camera men come up and film the accident just as the police show up. Lou asks the camera men how much a news station would pay for footage of crime scenes. One of them replies with “Not enough”, but Lou decides that ‘not enough’ could become enough. All it takes is a little sneakiness, hard work, and some bloody hands.
And just like Light Yagami from my Death Note review, Lou Bloom is a sociopath who doesn’t know he is a sociopath. He is willing to do anything to get the best shot, the only shot, in order to get the most amount of money. It starts out small, as he moves a dead body to get a more dramatic shot, to withholding evidence to keep a story to go on longer so he can get more footage. His only concern is how much money he can acquire.
Even with all of these elements of Lou Bloom’s character, he is still a highly intelligent person, and can negotiate and blackmail people on the spot. He can analyze people’s reactions, and quickly decide what to say to get what he wants. I couldn’t help but love him.
Jake Gyllenhaal’s performance as Lou is incredible. He plays the character extremely well, and even the way he walks and stands looks like a character that seems like he wants to be something he isn’t ready for. He looks uncomfortable in his own skin, almost like he wants to shed it and evolve into someone new. His voice is what really gives you the impression that we’re dealing with a character that knows what he is doing, but he doesn’t care, because he knows he can get away with it.
The ending gives so much closure to almost every anti-hero movie or TV show. If you hated the endings to shows like Breaking Bad, Dexter, and Death Note, then I highly recommend that you see this movie. Actually, I can recommend anyone to see this movie. Due to the great storyline, Jake’s acting, the amazing ending, and the anti-hero element, I give Nightcrawler 5 out of 5 Lukes.
I hope you enjoyed reading my latest review! My next review will be out next week!
