Nightcrawler

Scathing indictment of the news media. Gyllenhaal plays a ghoulish sociopath who stumbles into a career filming the graphic aftermath of car crashes, domestic violence, and home invasions. He sells his wares to Russo, who plays the graveyard-shift news manager at a local TV station.

I love how Gyllenhaal plays his part. No showy ticks or big emotive moments, just a smoldering intensity that held me riveted. Even more impressive considering the film proffers no backstory or any semblance of arc for his character.

Revisiting Nightcrawler six years later, it’s lost none of its impact. My lone nit? Too many scenes panning around the racing muscle car to zoom in via Gyllenhaal’s window.