Led by a superb manic performance by Jake Gyllenhaal, Nightcrawler feels like a throwback film to a time when there were genres like “adult thriller.” As the film begins, the ethical lines are already blurred, and it wastes no time stepping right over the line, giving us a “pro”tagonist who, like Patrick Bateman before him, is only wearing a person suit. Behind his eyes are darkness. His smile doesn’t even have a hint of happiness. The writing, the cinematography, and an exceptional new wave retro score by James Newton Howard, all coalesce around Gyllenhaal here and make Nightcrawler a great film.
