Nightcrawler (film)
Nightcrawler | |
---|---|
Directed by | Dan Gilroy |
Written by | Dan Gilroy |
Produced by |
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Starring | |
Cinematography | Robert Elswit |
Edited by | John Gilroy |
Music by | James Newton Howard |
Production company | Bold Films |
Distributed by | Open Road Films |
Release dates |
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Running time | 117 minutes[1] |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
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
- Jake Gyllenhaal as Louis 'Lou' Bloom
- Rene Russo as Nina Romina
- Riz Ahmed as Rick Carey
- Bill Paxton as Joe Loder
- Ann Cusack as Linda
- Kevin Rahm as Frank Kruse
- Kathleen York as Jackie
- Eric Lange as Cameraman
- Jonny Coyne as Pawn Shop Owner
- Michael Hyatt as Detective Fronteiri
- Michael Papajohn as Security Guard
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
References
- ^ "NIGHTCRAWLER (15)". British Board of Film Classification. October 2, 2014. Retrieved October 3, 2014.
- ^ a b c "Nightcrawler (2014)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
- ^ "Toronto Film Festival Lineup". Variety. Retrieved July 22, 2014.
- ^ "Nightcrawler (2014)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
- ^ Guidry, Ken (April 26, 2013). "Jake Gyllenhaal To Star In Dan Gilroy's Directorial Debut 'Nightcrawler'". The Playlist. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
- ^ McNary, Dave (September 19, 2013). "Jake Gyllenhaal's 'Nightcrawler' Gets California Incentive (Exclusive)". Variety. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
- ^ McNary, Dave (September 7, 2013). "Toronto: Bill Paxton Joins Jake Gyllenhaal in 'Nightcrawler' (Exclusive)". Variety. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
- ^ Franklin, Garth (September 17, 2013). "Casting: Ahmed, Tamblyn, Harris, Lowe". Dark Horizons. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
- ^ Kroll, Justin (October 4, 2013). "'Mad Men' Actor Kevin Rahm Joins Jake Gyllenhaal Pic 'Nightcrawler'". Variety. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
- ^ "Jake Gyllenhaal Looks Super Skinny On Nightcrawler Set—See the Pic". E! Online. October 15, 2013. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
- ^ "Nightcrawler (2014)". Rotten Tomatoes.
- ^ http://www.metacritic.com/movie/nightcrawler
- ^ Monk, Katherine (October 31, 2014). "Nightcrawler, reviewed: Jake Gyllenhaal's charming sociopath anchors tale of morality in the City of Angels". nationalpost.com. Retrieved December 25, 2014.
- ^ Lumenick, Lou (October 30, 2014). "Gyllenhaal stuns as a sociopathic TV cameraman in 'Nightcrawler'". nypost.com. Retrieved December 25, 2014.
- ^ Baker, Jeff (October 30, 2014). "'Nightcrawler' review: Jake Gyllenhaal is a violent sociopath who finds a rewarding career in TV news". oregonian.com. Retrieved December 25, 2014.
- ^ Lemire, Christy (November 5, 2014). "Nightcrawler". ChristyLemire.com. Retrieved December 23, 2014.
- ^ Orr, Christopher (October 31, 2014). "Nightcrawler: A Breakthrough for Jake Gyllenhaal". The Atlantic. Retrieved December 23, 2014.
- ^ Sachs, Ben (October 29, 2014). "In Nightcrawler, if it bleeds, it leads". Chicago Reader. Retrieved December 23, 2014.
- ^ "Nominees for 65th Annual ACE Eddie Awards". American Cinema Editors. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
- ^ "AFI List of Top Ten Films Expands to Include 11 Movies". The Hollywood Reporter. December 9, 2014. Retrieved December 9, 2014.
- ^ "Nominations Announced For 19th Annual Art Directors Guild Excellence In Production Design Awards" (PDF). Art Directors Guild. January 5, 2015. Retrieved January 5, 2015.
- ^ "'Boyhood' is Austin Film Critics Association Favorite in 2014". Austin Film Critics Association. 2014. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
- ^ "4th AACTA International Awards Nominees". Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts. Retrieved January 7, 2015.
- ^ Burr, Ty (December 8, 2014). "'Boyhood', 'Birdman' lead 2014 Boston film critics' awards". The Boston Globe. Retrieved December 10, 2014.
- ^ Rutecki, Jared (January 4, 2015). "Nominees announced for Central Ohio Film Critics Association awards". Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved January 4, 2015.
- ^ ""Birdman" Leads 2014 CFCA Nominations". Chicago Film Critics Association. 2014. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
- ^ "2015 Critics Choice Awards". Rotten Tomatoes. December 15, 2014. Retrieved December 16, 2014.
- ^ "DFW Film Critics name "Birdman" as top film of 2014". Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association. 2014. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
- ^ "DFCS Nominates 'Birdman,' 'Boyhood' for Group's Major Awards". Denver Film Critics Society. Retrieved January 7, 2015.
- ^ http://detroitfilmcritics.com/the-2014-detroit-film-critics-society-awards/
- ^ "Dublin critics award 'Boyhood,' 'Frank,' Jake Gyllenhaal and Marion Cotillard". HitFix. December 17, 2014. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
- ^ "2014 FFCC Award Winners". Florida Film Critics Circle. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
- ^ "2014 Awards". Georgia Film Critics Association. Retrieved January 5, 2015.
- ^ Johnson, Zach (December 11, 2014). "Golden Globes 2015: Complete List of Nominees". E!. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
- ^ "Gotham Independent Film Awards 2014 Nominations". Rotten Tomatoes. October 23, 2014. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
- ^ "'Birdman' and usual critical darling suspects lead Houston critics' nominations". HitFix. 2014. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
- ^ "Independent Spirit Award Nominations 2015:Full List of Nominees". Deadline.com. November 25, 2014. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
- ^ "'Birdman' and genre love from Las Vegas film critics". Kristopher Tapley. HitFix. December 18, 2014. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
- ^ "35th CC Film Awards Nominations". London Film Critics' Circle. December 16, 2014. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
- ^ "2014 Los Angeles Film Critics Awards:'Boyhood' and 'Grand Budapest Hotel' Big Winners". Brad Brevet. Ropes of Silicon. Retrieved December 9, 2014.
- ^ Thompson, Anne (December 2, 2014). "National Board of Review Names 'A Most Violent Year' Best Film of 2014". Indiewire. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
- ^ Chang, Justin (January 3, 2015). "'Goodbye to Language' Named Best Picture by National Society of Film Critics". Variety. Retrieved January 3, 2015.
- ^ "NYFCO Awards". New York Film Critics Online. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
- ^ "'Boyhood,' Gyllenhaal, Pike tops with North Texas film critics". Hitfix. January 5, 2015. Retrieved January 5, 2015.
- ^ "OFCC Awards BOYHOOD Best Picture and Director; Rosamund Pike Wins Best Actress". Collider.com. January 5, 2015. Retrieved January 6, 2015.
- ^ "2014 Awards (18th Annual)". Online Film Critics Society. 2014. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
- ^ "Phoenix Film Critics Society 2014 Awards". Phoenix Film Critics Society. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
- ^ "Theatrical Motion Picture, Animated Theatrical and Long-Form TV Nominations Announced". Producers Guild of America. Retrieved January 5, 2015.
- ^ http://www.sdfcs.org/2014-san-diego-film-critics-award-nominations/
- ^ "2014 SAN FRANCISCO FILM CRITICS AWARDS:Full List of Nominees". San Francisco Film Critics Circle. 2014. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
- ^ "Satellite Awards (2014)". International Press Academy. IPA. December 4, 2014. pressacademy.com. Retrieved December 1, 2014.
- ^ "Full list of Screen Actors Guild Award nominees". MSN. December 11, 2014. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
- ^ "'Grand Budapest Hotel' named year's best by Southeastern Film Critics Association". Kristopher Tapley. HitFix. December 22, 2014. Retrieved December 23, 2014.
- ^ "2014 Winners of the St. Louis Film Critics Awards Announced!". St. Louis Film Critics Association. 2014. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
- ^ "2014 Winners of the St. Louis Film Critics Awards Announced!". Toronto Film Critics Association. December 15, 2014. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
- ^ "'Birdman' takes Best Picture from Utah Film Critics Association". The Salt Lake Tribune. December 17, 2014. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
- ^ "Vancouver critics go with 'Boyhood,' Gyllenhaal, Swinton". Hitfix. January 5, 2015. Retrieved January 6, 2015.
- ^ "2015 Nominees". Writers Guild of America. Retrieved January 7, 2015.
External links
- Official website
- Nightcrawler at IMDb
- Nightcrawler at AllMovie
- Nightcrawler at Box Office Mojo
- Please use a more specific Metacritic template.
- Nightcrawler at Rotten Tomatoes