Nightcrawler (film)
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Dan Gilroy |
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| Written by | Dan Gilroy |
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| Music by | James Newton Howard |
| Cinematography | Robert Elswit |
| Edited by | John Gilroy |
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Production
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| Distributed by | Open Road Films |
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Release date
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Running time
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117 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $8.5 million |
| Box office | $50.3 million |
Nightcrawler is a 2014 American thriller film written and directed by Dan Gilroy. The film stars Jake Gyllenhaal as Lou Bloom, a stringer who records violent events late at night in Los Angeles, and sells the footage to a local television news station. Rene Russo, Riz Ahmed, and Bill Paxton feature in supporting roles. A common theme in the film is the symbiotic relationship between unethical journalism and consumer demand.
Gilroy originally wanted to make a film about the life of Weegee, but switched focus after discovering the unique narrative possibilities surrounding the stringer profession. He wrote Bloom as an antihero, based on the ideas of unemployment and capitalism. Gyllenhaal played a pivotal role in the film's production, from choosing members of the crew to watching audition tapes. Filming took place over the course of four weeks, and was a hectic process that included over eighty locations.
Nightcrawler premiered at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival, and grossed $50.3 million on a production budget of $8.5 million. The film was met with widespread praise, with critics highlighting Gilroy's screenplay, and Gyllenhaal's performance. Several critics listed Nightcrawler as one of the best films of the year. It received various accolades, including Best Original Screenplay at the 87th Academy Awards.
Petty thief Louis "Lou" Bloom (Jake Gyllenhaal) is caught stealing from a Los Angeles construction site by a security guard. He attacks the security guard, steals his watch and leaves with the stolen material. After selling the material at a scrap yard, Lou asks for a job, but the foreman says he does not hire thieves. While driving home, Lou sees a car crash and pulls over. Stringers—freelance photojournalists—arrive and record two police officers pulling a woman from the wreck. One of the stringers, Joe Loder (Bill Paxton), tells Lou that they sell their footage to local news stations. Inspired, Lou steals a bicycle and trades it for a camcorder and a police radio scanner. After two unsuccessful attempts at recording incidents, Lou records the aftermath of a fatal carjacking and sells the footage to KWLA 6. The morning news director Nina Romina (Rene Russo) tells him the station is especially interested in footage of violent incidents in affluent areas. Lou hires an assistant, Rick (Riz Ahmed), a young man desperate for money. To give his footage more impact, Lou begins tampering with crime scenes and in one case moves a body. As Lou's work gains traction, he buys better equipment and a faster car.
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