Nightcrawler, Dan Gilroy’s directorial debut starring Jake Gylenhaal, takes to crime behind a camera on the hungry, neon lit streets of Los Angeles. Gylenhaal is billed as the star of Nightcrawler, but he’s nowhere to be seen throughout the entire film; instead, the star of this palpitating crime-thriller is Lou Bloom, a slimy, socially oblivious yet pathological creep skilled in the art of thievery and con who only happens to resemble Gylenhaal; another skeptical claim considering how much weight the actor dropped to play Bloom. Nightcrawler follows Bloom’s story from when he began as a petty thief stealing and selling what he gets his hands on right up to his success as a “nightcrawler” — A prowler who emerges at night to shoot footage of gritty accidents and crimes only to then sell it to news stations. However, in-between, the success begins driving Bloom to influence the crimes himself for means of better material, and the resulting outcome is a film that will keep you glued to the screen for it’s entire two hour run-time and immerse you into the head of this likely-psychopathic character.

Gylenhaal’s performance in this film is exceptional. Lou Bloom is someone that will do anything to get from point A to C whilst skipping the step in-between; this calculated unpredictability portrayed by Gylenhaal leading to a 100% Oscar worthy performance.The actor portrays the charmingly manipulative nature and psychosis of Lou Bloom so convincingly that you forget you’re watching Gylenhaal entirely, and by the end you’ll be so deliriously in frequency with the motives and thought processes of Bloom that you’ll actually be rooting for him.  This is a rare film that binds the protagonist and antagonist into one, melding a hazy in-between that will have you shocked at Bloom’s actions while remaining utterly subservient of his motives.

This movie also poses a striking commentary on the media as a whole, bringing the viewer to question how they watch the news and where the world’s information is truly coming from. Is it coming from reporters with the utmost journalistic integrity, or scummy conspirators like Lou Bloom? The film never actually answers the question, but the fact that it manages to be so throbbing thrilling while also offering a social commentary makes it a success in it’s own.

Nightcrawler is one of the best films of 2014 thus far, and quite possibly the best performance of Gylenhaal’s career. You know what that means? It gets a big ‘ol A.

                                                                                                                                                                                            You can see Nightcrawler in all theaters now.