Nightcrawler (2/10/2015)

Rated R for violence, bloody images, and language.

Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Bill Paxton and Rene Russo

Directed by Dan Gilroy

One of the darkest films of the year.

Nightcrawler is a pulse-pounding thriller set in the nocturnal underbelly of contemporary Los Angeles. Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Lou Bloom, a driven young man desperate for work who discovers the high-speed world of L.A. crime journalism. Finding a group of freelance camera crews who film crashes, fires, murder and other mayhem, Lou muscles into the cutthroat, dangerous realm of nightcrawling — where each police siren wail equals a possible windfall and victims are converted into dollars and cents. Aided by Rene Russo as Nina, a veteran of the blood-sport that is local TV news, Lou blurs the line between observer and participant to become the star of his own story.

There are two things that really make this film work… the storyline and Jake Gyllenhaal. The story may be dark and disturbing but it’s more original than most of the stuff Hollywood is pumping out. It tells a complete story, with complicated characters and pushes the audience to wrestle with some very difficult issues.

Then there’s Jake Gyllenhaal. Wow, he is scary good…emphasis on scary. Every scene, every word is more intense than the last. His performance makes this film what it is.

That being said, the reason I’m scoring this film as low as “Rental” is because of the language and violence. I know I have seen films that were more violent or have more profanity, but this film is so dark it causes the audience to spend more time recoiling and trying to make sense of what they are seeing.

SPOILER ALERT: I also didn’t like the ending of the film. I always find it disturbing when the “bad guy” wins. There is no question that Lou is a bad guy. So in the final scene of the film when we see that he is expanding his business instead of being punished it leaves the audience feeling very uneasy.

Jake Gyllenhaal is so good, but the morals and message of the film are not. So I can’t go higher than a “Rental.”

Should Kids See It?
No. Although there is no sex and nudity, there is plenty of profanity. The f-word is used over 50 times and the S-word is used a handful of times. There is also plenty of violence and disturbing images.

Conversation Starter:

1. What would you say drives Lou?


2. Do you think Lou would have done any of those things if he were independently wealthy?

Read 1 Timothy 6:10 (NLT)

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.


3. How did Lou’s love of money lead to many sorrows?


4. What would you say is driving you?