Nightcrawler is a fascinating experience. While sadly, it has nothing to do with X-Men whatsoever, the subject matter is what really pushes this character-driven story to be one of the top features in the last several years. This underrated feature is about Louis “Lou” Bloom, a Los Angeles citizen who isn’t exactly the best role model when it comes to the law. However, Lou stumbles upon a new career as a cameraman and becomes obsessed with finding shocking and grisly crimes all for the top dollar. “If it bleeds, it leads” is the moniker that Louis proudly abides by, but how far is Lou willing to go just to catch the money shot? Based on the little synopsis provided, Lou Bloom is particularly a good person. He’s a thief who steals and doesn’t exactly have much regard for other human life. In retrospect, he is a terrible person, but does that mean he’s a terrible character?
What’s interesting about Lou is that he’s clearly an anti-hero, who dances more on the villain side. He doesn’t hurt or kill anyone, but his behavior is anti-social and his actions towards the end were deplorable. He purposely puts Rick in the line of fire just because the young man asked for a raise. He’s a selfish prick that didn’t want to share his wealth with anyone else. But when you peel back the layers of who Louis Bloom is, you’ll understand why he is the seemingly heartless man in the film depicted. He’s a loner. The reason he grows this sudden fascination for Nina isn’t that she’s a beautiful woman, but it’s due to the fact that she’s the first person to truly connect with him on a personal level. Being alone sucks. While some people will never admit it, companionship is one of the key factors to happy living. Lou tells Rick himself, he doesn’t like people, so you can imagine that he tries to avoid that at any and all costs. That’s why Lou is so darn good at his job. He doesn’t care about human lives. When he sees a robbery taking place firsthand, any rational person would’ve instantly called the cops or at the very least check to make sure that the victim is okay. Lou doesn’t do that. He cares about getting that money shot. Even during his dinner with Nina, he’s clearly threatening her to sleep with him. The irony is that Lou tells Nina that she’s not listening to him, but he’s clearly disregarding her feelings entirely.
Bloom is obviously a sociopath, who’s also manipulative and smart. But he’s also human. That’s really what makes him such a wonderful subject to explore. The layers surrounding this human being is extremely complex. Lou doesn’t care about people, but he also wants companionship. The juxtaposition in these characteristics is a mesmerizing to watch as we’re not particularly glued to the screen because of the insane and violent action that takes place at night in Los Angeles. We’re enthralled over what Lou’s next move is. Just when it seems that Lou has finally been figured out, he pulls off a move that makes sense for the nature of his character but is shocking all at the same time. His past is unknown. What exactly turned this intelligent man into a soulless human being? Did he have love for his parents? Or is he an abandoned foster kid whose been through hell and back? We’ll never get these answers but the mystery regarding his past is what makes him such an explosive character to watch.
That’s what character driven films should be about. You may not like Lou but it’s not hard to understand him. He’s a persistent hard worker who’s driven to succeed. We’ll never want to have a beer with the guy, but it’s hard not to respect his hustle. Louis never feels like a caricature of someone else. He feels real, which makes him all that effective. If helps that the talented Jake Gyllenhaal is playing such a complex character. However, that credit mostly goes to Dan Gilroy, who carefully crafted the story of Lou Bloom that speaks on the ideas of unemployment and capitalism and how it can drastically compel someone’s mind. Lou is a criminal, but one with a moral code that keeps him ticking each day. He’s actually one of the best onscreen characters in the last couple of decades. It’s a shame that Gyllenhaal’s performance was mostly ignored by the prestigious Academy Award because he surely earned it.
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