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Nightcrawler (film)

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Nightcrawler
Theatrical release poster
Directed byDan Gilroy
Written byDan Gilroy
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyRobert Elswit
Edited byJohn Gilroy
Music byJames Newton Howard
Production
company
Bold Films
Distributed byOpen Road Films
Release dates
  • September 5, 2014 (2014-09-05) (TIFF)
  • October 31, 2014 (2014-10-31) (United States)
Running time
117 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$8.5 million[2]
Box office$38.3 million[2]

Nightcrawler is a 2014 American neo-noir crime thriller film written and directed by Dan Gilroy in his directorial debut. The film stars Jake Gyllenhaal as Lou Bloom, a thief who starts shooting footage of accidents and crimes in Los Angeles and selling it to news channels. It features Rene Russo, Riz Ahmed, and Bill Paxton.

The film had its world premiere at the Special Presentations section of the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival.[3] It was released theatrically by Open Road Films on October 31, 2014.[4] It received positive reviews.

Plot

Caught stealing from a Los Angeles construction site, Lou Bloom (Jake Gyllenhaal) attacks a security guard and steals his watch. After negotiating a price for the stolen material at a scrap yard, Bloom asks for a job, but the yard manager tells him he will not employ a thief.

Inspired by a freelance film crew he sees working the scene of a car crash, Lou trades a racing bicycle he has stolen for a camcorder and a radio scanner. He shoots the aftermath of a carjacking and offers his film to a local TV station. The morning news director, Nina (Rene Russo), buys the footage and encourages Lou to continue his work. She stipulates that the station is most interested in footage of violent incidents in affluent neighborhoods since these attract the most viewers. Lou hires an assistant, Rick (Riz Ahmed), a young man desperate for money.

To get better footage, Lou alters crime scenes, including moving a corpse. His work gains traction and he purchases better equipment and a faster car. He turns down a business offer from a competitor (Bill Paxton) and sabotages his van, causing an accident which Lou films. He threatens to end his business relationship with Nina unless she has sex with him, knowing her job depends on his footage.

Lou and Rick arrive before the police at the site of a home invasion in an affluent neighborhood. Lou records footage of the gunmen leaving in their SUV and of the murder victims in the house. The news staff worry that airing the footage is unethical, but Nina is eager to break the story. In exchange, Lou demands public credit and more money.

The police become suspicious of Lou and ask for his footage of the home invasion. He gives them an edited tape, withholding footage identifying the gunmen, then locates the gunmen himself. With Rick, he stakes them out at a restaurant, planning to tip off the police and film the confrontation. Scared, Rick demands half the money Lou stands to make, threatening to tell the police about Lou's activities. Lou agrees, but demands Rick get out of the car to shoot a supporting angle; Rick complies when Lou threatens him with violence.

The police arrive at the restaurant and exchange gunfire with the gunmen. One is killed and the other escapes in the SUV. The police give chase, with Lou and Rick tailing and recording. After the gunman's SUV crashes, Lou urges Rick to film the gunman, claiming he is dead. The gunman shoots Rick and tries to escape but is shot by police. As Rick lies dying, Lou films him and tells him he is fired, as he cannot work with someone he does not trust.

Nina is delighted by the footage and expresses her devotion to Lou. The news team discovers that the "home invasion" was actually a drug deal gone wrong; Nina omits this information to maximize the story's impact. Police try to confiscate the footage for evidence, but Nina defends her right to withhold it. Interrogated by a detective, Lou fabricates a story about the men in the SUV following him; the detective suspects he is lying, but cannot prove it. Lou invests in two vans and hires a team of interns to expand his business.

Cast

Various news anchors such as Pat Harvey and Kent Shocknek appear as fictionalized versions of themselves.

Production

Gyllenhaal was the first actor to sign on, in April 2013.[5] The film was not one of the 31 projects originally selected by the California Film Tax Credit program June for $100 million in credits via a lottery from 380 applications, but it did receive a $2.3 million allocation.[6] Bill Paxton and Rene Russo signed for the film in September 2013,[7] followed by the casting of Riz Ahmed as Gyllenhaal's "driver and protege".[8] Kevin Rahm joined the cast as a News Channel editor in October 2013.[9] Principal photography began on October 6, 2013 in Los Angeles. Gyllenhaal lost 9 kg (20 pounds) for his role.[10]

Reception

Critical response

Nightcrawler received positive reviews. On the film-review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a rating of 95%, based on 191 reviews, with an average rating of 8.2/10. The critical consensus states, "Restless, visually sleek, and powered by a lithe star performance from Jake Gyllenhaal, Nightcrawler offers dark, thought-provoking thrills."[11] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 76 out of 100, based on 45 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[12]

Reviewers call Gyllenhaal's character a "charming sociopath" and his performance "a bravura, career-changing tour-de-force."[13][14][15] Christy Lemire of the Chicago Sun-Times called Gyllenhaal's performance "supremely creepy" and praised the film's themes and messages.[16] Christopher Orr of The Atlantic compared Gyllenhaal to a young Robert De Niro and his performances in the films Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy, feeling Gyllenhaal's character harbored traits shared by De Niro's characters in the two films. Orr called Gyllenhaal "tremendous" in the role and stated that the actor is learning to "channel an eerie, inner charisma, offering it up in glimpses and glimmers rather than all at once." He also declared the role as Gyllenhaal's "best performance to date."[17] Ben Sachs of the Chicago Reader said, "For a first-time director, Gilroy demonstrates an uncommon assurance, not only in his audacious tonal shifts but in the stellar work he elicits from his cast and crew."[18]

Box office

Nightcrawler opened on October 31, 2014 in 2,766 theaters and grossed $10.4 million, with an average of $3,775 per theater and ranking #2 at the box office. By December 30, 2014, the film had earned $31.8 million in the United States and Canada and by November 16, 2014, $6.3 million in other countries.[2]

Accolades

Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) and nominee(s) Result Ref(s)
ACE Eddie Awards January 30, 2015 Best Edited Feature Film – Dramatic John Gilroy Pending [19]
American Film Institute December 9, 2014 Top Ten Films of the Year Nightcrawler Won [20]
Art Directors Guild January 31, 2015 Excellence in Production Design for a Contemporary Film Kevin Kavanaugh Pending [21]
Austin Film Critics Association December 17, 2014 AFCA 2014 Top Ten Films Nightcrawler Won [22]
Best Actor Jake Gyllenhaal Won
Best Original Screenplay Dan Gilroy Won
Best First Film Nightcrawler (Dan Gilroy) Won
Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts International Awards January 31, 2015 Best International Actor Jake Gyllenhaal Pending [23]
Boston Society of Film Critics December 8, 2014 Best New Filmmaker Dan Gilroy Won [24]
Central Ohio Film Critics Association January 8, 2015 Best Film Nightcrawler Pending [25]
Best Actor Jake Gyllenhaal Pending
Chicago Film Critics Association December 15, 2014 Best Actor Jake Gyllenhaal Nominated [26]
Most Promising Filmmaker Dan Gilroy Nominated
Critics' Choice Movie Award January 15, 2015 Best Picture Nightcrawler Pending [27]
Best Actor Jake Gyllenhaal Pending
Best Original Screenplay Dan Gilroy Pending
Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association December 15, 2014 Top Ten Films of the Year Nightcrawler Won [28]
Best Actor Jake Gyllenhaal Nominated
Denver Film Critics Society January 12, 2015 Best Actor Jake Gyllenhaal Pending [29]
Best Supporting Actress Rene Russo Pending
Detroit Film Critics Society December 15, 2014 Best Actor Jake Gyllenhaal Nominated [30]
Best Supporting Actress Rene Russo Nominated
Dublin Film Critics' Circle December 17, 2014 Best Actor Jake Gyllenhaal Won [31]
Florida Film Critics Circle December 19, 2014 Best Actor Jake Gyllenhaal Runner-up [32]
Georgia Film Critics Association January 9, 2015 Best Picture Nightcrawler Pending [33]
Best Actor Jake Gyllenhaal Pending
Best Supporting Actor Riz Ahmed Pending
Best Supporting Actress Rene Russo Pending
Best Original Screenplay Dan Gilroy Pending
Golden Globe Awards January 11, 2015 Best Actor - Drama Jake Gyllenhaal Pending [34]
Gotham Awards December 1, 2014 Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director Award Dan Gilroy Nominated [35]
Breakthrough Actor Riz Ahmed Nominated
Houston Film Critics Society January 10, 2015 Best Picture Nightcrawler Pending [36]
Best Actor Jake Gyllenhaal Pending
Best Original Screenplay Dan Gilroy Pending
Independent Spirit Awards February 21, 2015 Best First Feature Nightcrawler Pending [37]
Best Male Lead Jake Gyllenhaal Pending
Best Supporting Male Riz Ahmed Pending
Best Screenplay Dan Gilroy Pending
Best Editing John Gilroy Pending
Las Vegas Film Critics Society December 18, 2014 LVFCS Top 10 Films of 2014 Nightcrawler Won [38]
London Film Critics' Circle January 18, 2015 Film of the Year Jake Gyllenhaal Pending [39]
Actor of the Year Jake Gyllenhaal Pending
Supporting Actor of the Year Riz Ahmed Pending
Screenwriter of the Year Dan Gilroy Pending
Los Angeles Film Critics Association December 7, 2014 Best Supporting Actress Rene Russo Runner-up [40]
National Board of Review January 6, 2015 Top Ten Films Nightcrawler Won [41]
National Society of Film Critics Awards January 3, 2015 Best Supporting Actress Rene Russo 2nd Runner-up [42]
New York Film Critics Online December 7, 2014 Best Debut Director Dan Gilroy Won [43]
North Texas Film Critics Association January 5, 2015 Best Actor Jake Gyllenhaal Won [44]
Oklahoma Film Critics Circle January 5, 2015 Best Picture Nightcrawler 6th place [45]
Best First Feature Nightcrawler Won
Online Film Critics Society December 15, 2014 Best Picture Nightcrawler Nominated [46]
Best Actor Jake Gyllenhaal Nominated
Phoenix Film Critics Society December 16, 2014 Breakthrough Performance Behind the Camera Dan Gilroy Won [47]
Producers Guild of America Awards January 24, 2015 Best Theatrical Motion Picture Jennifer Fox, Tony Gilroy Pending [48]
San Diego Film Critics Society December 15, 2014 Best Film Nightcrawler Won [49]
Best Director Dan Gilroy Won
Best Actor Jake Gyllenhaal Won
Best Supporting Actor Riz Ahmed Nominated
Best Supporting Actress Rene Russo Won
Best Original Screenplay Dan Gilroy Won
Best Cinematography Robert Elswit Won
Best Editing John Gilroy Nominated
Best Score James Newton Howard Won
San Francisco Film Critics Circle December 14, 2014 Best Actor Jake Gyllenhaal Nominated [50]
Satellite Awards February 15, 2015 Best Actor Jake Gyllenhaal Pending [51]
Best Original Screenplay Dan Gilroy Pending
Screen Actors Guild Awards January 25, 2015 Best Male Actor in a Leading Role Jake Gyllenhaal Pending [52]
Southeastern Film Critics Association December 22, 2014 2014 SEFCA Top Ten Films Nightcrawler Won [53]
St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association December 15, 2014 Best Actor Jake Gyllenhaal Won [54]
Best Original Screenplay Dan Gilroy Nominated
Best Cinematography Robert Elswit Nominated
Best Art Direction Nightcrawler Nominated
Toronto Film Critics Association December 15, 2014 Best Actor Jake Gyllenhaal Runner-up [55]
Best First Feature Dan Gilroy Runner-up
Utah Film Critics Association December 17, 2014 Best Original Screenplay Dan Gilroy Runner-up [56]
Best Cinematography Robert Elswit Won
Vancouver Film Critics Circle January 5, 2015 Best Actor Jake Gyllenhaal Won [57]
Writers Guild of America Awards February 14, 2015 Best Original Screenplay Dan Gilroy Pending [58]

References

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  6. ^ McNary, Dave (September 19, 2013). "Jake Gyllenhaal's 'Nightcrawler' Gets California Incentive (Exclusive)". Variety. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
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