Nightcrawler

Part neo-noir thriller, part dark satire, Nightcrawler is the story of Lou Bloom, a cunning and ruthlessly entrepreneurial lowlife who is seduced by the seedy, nocturnal world of crime journalism and begins prowling the streets of Los Angeles for saleable video footage of death and destruction.

Cinema’s most iconic sociopath since Travis Bickle is brought to life with wide-eyed intensity by Jake Gyllenhaal in a career-best performance. The film also boasts strong turns from relative newcomer Riz Ahmed as well as veterans Rene Russo and Bill Paxton.

Exhilarating, disturbing and rich with social commentary on fear-mongering in today’s media, the directorial debut of screenwriter Dan Gilroy is an instant-classic that shares DNA with Martin Scorcese’s Taxi Driver and Sidney Lumet’s Network. (JH)

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