Lou Bloom does not like people. He is a solitary man, content with the life that he has crafted for himself, except for one thing: he wants a job. After stumbling upon a car accident scene one night and observing the men who recorded it for the TV News, Lou becomes enthralled with the idea of filming crime scenes and starting a career for himself. This marks the beginning of Lou’s mission in Nightcrawler, a film so good, that it may become a classic.

Nightcrawler is a deep character study, in what may be a career-best performance by the already massively talented Jake Gyllenhaal, of a lonely, compassionless man who sets goals and is perseverant. It serves as a commentary on the corruption of the TV News world, as well as our general desensitization to violence and crime. As dark as the film is and as heartless as Lou can be, he is still manages to get the audience on his side-you can’t take your eyes off of him and you want him to succeed.

Dan Gilroy’s dialogue is sharp and darkly funny, and his direction is intrusive and compelling. The film is marvelously suspenseful, and even in its most shocking moments, we still root for the anti-hero. A dark and gritty portrait of a career-driven man with absolutely no moral compass, Nightcrawler is an endlessly entertaining ride. Its examination of a corrupt society is not only profound, but thoughtfully realized through Lou Bloom; who is a character that we’ll be talking about for years to come.

[star v=5]