Nightcrawler

Expectations:
Before 2014, I never really thought of Jake Gyllenhaal as a guy whose films I just really needed to watch. Sure, I had seen a few Gyllenhaal flicks, but his performances never really blew me away. He was in no way a bad actor, but he never, ever impressed me! Cut to 2014... And the guy is killing it! While this review may be focused on Nightcrawler, do not allow yourself to go through 2014 without taking a look at Enemy, a film in which Gyllenhaal plays two look-a-like characters who have quite an odd introduction and relationship. Not only was the film intriguing, but his performance was quite impressive. And, without seeing his performance in Enemy, there is no way that I would have been interested in checking out Nightcrawler, mostly because I had absolutely no idea what Nightcrawler was about. The trailer was vague. The title is vague. Yet, somehow, it wasn't a box office bust, this weekend! Considering the favorable reviews were flowing in and I got off of work early on Friday, I figured "what the heck!" and decided I would check it out...

Plot:
The actual storyline was not super-original nor was the writing very impressive. However, the way in which the story was told and the characters that were involved absolutely blew me away! The likelihood of the film becoming as popular as American Psycho is quite small, but the film and Gyllenhaal's Louis Bloom had the same effect on me as American Psycho and Christian Bale's Patrick Bateman. The creepiness of the character loomed throughout the film, and the tension in every scene was almost tangible. It is not uncommon for me to be fascinated by a simple story, and Nightcrawler certainly confirmed that tendency!

Characters:
Let's just talk about Louis Bloom!

No 2014 character has fascinated me quite like Louis Bloom, and few performances have impressed me as much as that of Jake Gyllenhaal. Based on the trailer, I did expect Bloom to be a bit rude and motivated and maybe even a little off, but I had no idea that he would be so freaking creepy! I thought he was great! For the first time (that I've ever witnessed), Jake Gyllenhaal was able to make an amazing character come to life, with such ease, and, for that, he deserves many kudos. Of course, there were other characters in the film, but Nightcrawler was engulfed by the presence of Louis Bloom... as was my brain, for the next few days...

Conclusion:
Thank God that Oscar season is upon us! The 2014 movie year is certainly beginning to trend upwards, and, if these unexpected hits continue to pop up, we are in for quite a surprise. If you enjoy films built around fascinatingly creepy characters, Nightcrawler is just for you. If you enjoy theatrical moments that make you think and laugh "this guy is crazy," Nightcrawler is just for you. If you just need something to watch, pre-Interstellar, I would say that Nightcrawler is your best bet. Needless to say, I was impressed with the film and, even more so, with Jake Gyllenhaal, who has impressed me more than any other actor in 2014. I give Nightcrawler 4.04 out of 5 stars.