Nightcrawler (film)
Nightcrawler | |
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![]() Theatrical release poster | |
Directed by | Dan Gilroy |
Produced by |
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Written by | Dan Gilroy |
Starring | |
Music by | James Newton Howard |
Cinematography | Robert Elswit |
Edited by | John Gilroy |
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 | $38.7 million[2] |
Nightcrawler is a 2014 American neo-noir crime thriller film written and directed by Dan Gilroy in his directorial debut. The film starsJake Gyllenhaal as 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 critical acclaim and is nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay at 87th Academy Awards.
Contents
[hide]Plot[edit]
Caught stealing from a Los Angeles construction site, Louis "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 foreman at the scrap yard tells him that he won't employ a thief.
Inspired by a freelance film crew he sees working the scene of a car crash, led by cameraman Joe Loder (Bill Paxton), Bloom steals a racing bicycle and trades it for a camcorder and a radio scanner. That night Bloom shoots the aftermath of a carjacking, moving up close and filming the victim's death to compete with Joe Loder's higher quality footage. Lou gets both him and Loder kicked off the crime scene, and they become rivals and competitors. Bloom offers the footage to a local TV station. The morning news director, Nina Romina (Rene Russo), buys the footage and encourages Bloom 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. Bloom hires an assistant, Rick Carey (Riz Ahmed), a young man desperate for money, and begins his career as a professional stringer.
To get better footage, Bloom alters crime scenes, in one case moving the body of a car crash victim to make a better shot. However, Loder beats Lou to several important stories and has access to more advanced equipment. Bloom's work begins to gain traction, and he purchases better equipment and trades his old 1985 Toyota Tercel for a faster and brand-new Dodge Challenger. Lou threatens to end his business relationship with Romina unless she has sex with him, knowing her job depends on his footage. The next day he turns down a business offer from Loder, who beats him to an important plane crash story later that night. Nina explodes in anger at Lou, demanding he get footage that viewers "can't turn away from". Lou sabotages Loder's van, causing him to crash into a telephone pole and be gravely injured. Later that night Bloom and Carey arrive at the site of a home invasion in an affluent neighborhood before the police. Bloom 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 Romina is eager to break the story. In exchange, Bloom demands public credit and more money.
The police become suspicious of Bloom 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 Carey, he stakes them out at a restaurant, planning to tip off the police and film the confrontation. Scared, Carey demands half the money Bloom stands to make, threatening to tell the police about Bloom's illegal activities. Bloom agrees, but demands Carey get out of the car to shoot a supporting angle; Carey complies when Bloom 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 Bloom and Carey tailing and recording. After the gunman's SUV crashes, Bloom urges Carey to film the gunman, claiming he is dead. The wounded gunman shoots Carey and tries to escape but is shot by police. As Carey lies dying, Bloom films him and tells him that he cannot work with someone he does not trust.
Romina is awed by the footage and expresses her devotion to Bloom. The news team discovers that the "home invasion" was actually a drug deal gone wrong; Romina omits this information to maximize the story's impact. Police try to confiscate the footage for evidence, but Romina defends her right to withhold it. Interrogated by police detective Fronteiri (Michael Hyatt), Bloom fabricates a story about the men in the SUV following him; Fronteiri suspects he is lying, but she cannot prove it. Bloom invests in two vans and hires a team of interns to expand his business.
Cast[edit]
- 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 Los Angeles news anchors either appear as themselves, such as KCBS' Pat Harvey and Kent Shocknek, or as lightly fictionalized versions of themselves, such as Sharon Tay, Rick Garcia and Rick Chambers.
Production[edit]
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 Rahmjoined the cast as a News Channel editor in October 2013.[9] Principal photography began on October 6, 2013 in Los Angeles and lasted 27 days.[10] Gyllenhaal lost 20 pounds (9.1 kilograms) for his role.[11]
Reception[edit]
Critical response[edit]
Nightcrawler received universal critical acclaim, with many praising Gyllenhaal's performance and Gilroy's script. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a score of 95%, based on 214 reviews, with a rating average of 8.2/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "Restless, visually sleek, and powered by a lithe star performance from Jake Gyllenhaal, Nightcrawler offers dark, thought-provoking thrills."[12] OnMetacritic, another review aggregator, the film has a score of 76 out of 100, based on 45 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[13]
Reviewers call Gyllenhaal's character a "charming sociopath" and his performance "a bravura, career-changingtour-de-force."[14][15][16] Christy Lemire of the Chicago Sun-Times called Gyllenhaal's performance "supremely creepy" and praised the film's themes and messages.[17] 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."[18] 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."[19]
Box office[edit]
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 $32.1 million in the United States and Canada and by November 16, 2014, $9.1 million in other countries.[2]
Accolades[edit]
For his performance as Louis "Lou" Bloom, Jake Gyllenhaal received praise from critics, including nominations for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role.
References[edit]
- ^ "NIGHTCRAWLER". British Board of Film Classification. October 2, 2014. Retrieved October 3,2014.
- ^ ab c "Nightcrawler (2014)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
- ^ "Toronto Film Festival Lineup". Variety. Retrieved22 July 2014.
- ^ "Nightcrawler (2014)". Box Office Mojo. RetrievedSeptember 7, 2014.
- ^ Guidry, Ken (26 April 2013). "Jake Gyllenhaal To Star In Dan Gilroy's Directorial Debut 'Nightcrawler'". The Playlist. Retrieved 23 October2013.
- ^ McNary, Dave (19 September 2013). "Jake Gyllenhaal's 'Nightcrawler' Gets California Incentive (Exclusive)". Variety. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
- ^ McNary, Dave (7 September 2013). "Toronto: Bill Paxton Joins Jake Gyllenhaal in 'Nightcrawler' (Exclusive)". Variety. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
- ^ Franklin, Garth (17 September 2013). "Casting: Ahmed, Tamblyn, Harris, Lowe". Dark Horizons. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
- ^ Kroll, Justin (4 October 2013). "'Mad Men' Actor Kevin Rahm Joins Jake Gyllenhaal Pic 'Nightcrawler'". Variety. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
- ^ "Beginner's Pluck". Deadline.com. January 7, 2015. Retrieved January 7, 2015.
- ^ "Jake Gyllenhaal Looks Super Skinny On Nightcrawler Set—See the Pic". E! Online. 15 October 2013. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
- ^ "Nightcrawler (2014)". Rotten Tomatoes.
- ^ "Nightcrawler". Metacritic. Retrieved February 7,2015.
- ^ 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. RetrievedDecember 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. RetrievedDecember 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. RetrievedDecember 23, 2014.
- ^ ab "Oscar Nominations 2015: The Complete List - The Hollywood Reporter". The Hollywood Reporter. January 15, 2015. Retrieved January 15, 2015.
- ^ "2014 EDA Awards Nominees". Alliance of Women Film Journalists. Retrieved January 8, 2015.
- ^ "Nominees for 65th Annual ACE Eddie Awards".American Cinema Editors. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
- ^ "Nominations Announced For 19th Annual Art Directors Guild Excellence In Production Design Awards". 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.
- ^ "BAFTA Nominations: ‘Grand Budapest Hotel’ Leads With 11 – Full List". Deadline.com. January 8, 2015. Retrieved January 9, 2015.
- ^ ""Birdman" Leads 2014 CFCA Nominations".Chicago Film Critics Association. 2014. RetrievedDecember 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.
- ^ "The 2014 Detroit Film Critics Society Awards".Detroit Film Critics Society. Retrieved February 7,2015.
- ^ "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.
- ^ Banks, Alicia (January 12, 2015). "Dorian Awards: ‘Birdman’ and ‘Transparent’ Lead Nominations for Gay and Lesbian Critics (Exclusive)". TheWrap. Retrieved January 12, 2015.
- ^ ""Boyhood," "Nightcrawler" Win Big as Georgia Film Critics Split the Board". Reel Georgia. January 9, 2015. Retrieved January 9, 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.
- ^ "The Houston Film Critics Society Award Winners for 2014". Houston Film Critics Society. RetrievedJanuary 11, 2015.
- ^ "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. RetrievedDecember 18, 2014.
- ^ "London critics award 'Boyhood,' 'Under the Skin'". Hitfix. January 18, 2015. RetrievedJanuary 18, 2015.
- ^ "2014 Los Angeles Film Critics Awards:'Boyhood' and 'Grand Budapest Hotel' Big Winners". Brad Brevet. Ropes of Silicon. Retrieved December 9,2014.
- ^ McNary, Dave (January 8, 2015). "‘Guardians of the Galaxy,’ ‘Into the Woods’ Lead Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild Awards Nominations". Variety. Retrieved January 8, 2015.
- ^ 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. RetrievedJanuary 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.
- ^ "2014 San Diego Film Critics Award Nominations".San Diego Film Critics Society. Retrieved February 7,2015.
- ^ "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. RetrievedDecember 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. RetrievedJanuary 6, 2015.
- ^ "2015 Nominees". Writers Guild of America. Retrieved January 7, 2015.
External links[edit]
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