See it at the Movies

NIGHTCRAWLER

Joyce and Don Fowler
Posted 11/5/14

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(Creepy anti-hero/creepy story)

Creepy! That’s the word for “Nightcrawler,” the tale of a sociopath petty thief who trades stolen copper and manhole covers for a video camera and …

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See it at the Movies

NIGHTCRAWLER

Posted

* * * *

(Creepy anti-hero/creepy story)

Creepy! That’s the word for “Nightcrawler,” the tale of a sociopath petty thief who trades stolen copper and manhole covers for a video camera and sells graphic footage of car accidents to TV stations.

Jake Gyllenhaal gives the performance of his life as Louis Bloom, a conniving creep who has educated himself on the Internet and by watching other videographers, selling his footage to an ambitious TV news director (Rene Russo) whose station is in last place in the ratings. He hires a young street person (Rick Garcia), paying him $30 a night while challenging his morals.

Bloom gets himself a police radio as he roams the violent streets of L.A., beating other stations to the car crashes, fires, murders and whatever sells to the bloodthirsty news editors. He’s a clever wheeler-dealer and a quick learner, with no morals of his own.

As Bloom gets better at his job, he also gets braver and hungrier. Arriving ahead of the police, he thinks nothing of “adjusting” the crime scene for a better shot, breaking every rule in the book. He even films a crime in progress, which leads to bloody, violent results. Bloom shows no remorse when an innocent person gets killed, making him a character you will love to hate, while also being mesmerized by his sociopath behavior.

Not always pleasant to watch, the movie sucks you in, just like all of those TV news stories featuring violent crimes. In a way, the movie is an indictment on the way TV glorifies the local news. It is also a fascinating tale of the creepiest of all creepy characters.

Rated R, with violence, bloody, graphic scenes and profanity.

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