P.S. Nightcrawler

A terse, intelligent, fast-paced thriller, Nightcrawler dazzles its audience with modern visuals of metropolitan lights and vivid crime scenes, and the intense, jarring dialogue between intriguing characters of elaborate eccentricities. The feature is no doubt elevated by an acutely harrowing yet captivating performance by Jake Gyllenhaal, whom is beyond recognition as the neurotic, psychopathic camerman, crazed by ambition. Nightcrawler entails the relentless endeavours of Los Angeles thief, Louis Bloom, as he develops a skill for capturing valuable footage of crimes and accidents around the city. Bloom plays into the game of news footage sale, establishing relationships with news director, Nina Romina (Rene Russo), rival freelance cameraman Joe Lader (Bill Paxton) and his naïve, underpaid assistant Rick Carey (Riz Ahmed). Gyllenhaal's performance as "Lo"signals his most attentive, provoking work since Donnie Darko, a true and indisputable return to form. Lo is man afflicted by a borderline animalistic desire for accomplishment, plagued by a shocking, lurid moral ambiguity. The admirable precision in which the character is portrayed, is the feature's most striking feature. By some disappointing contrast, the film manages only to imply the compelling attributes of its curious supporting acts, but inherently fails to dive into their motivations, only a shallow understanding of the characters capable of being achieved by the audience. It is the believability of Nightcrawler's story arc which risks the loss of viewers approval - the film at times strangely absurd, credibility momentarily sacrificed for entertainment value.

76/100