Review: Nightcrawler

Scrolling through Netflix a few weekends ago I happened upon the title Nightcrawler. I had forgotten about this movie from when it was originally released. I also remember after seeing the title, thinking to myself how cool it would be if Kurt Wagner got a solo movie. I still argue that Nightcrawler’s opening scene in X2 was the best of any comic book movie. But alas, this version of Nightcrawler is a complete 180 from the teleporting elf. Gruesome in many scenes, outright shocking in others, the movie delivers. It draws in from the get go, trying to pull sympathy from the viewer by giving a scenario we can all relate to: Gyllenhaal’s character Louis, just wants a job. He seems open to doing anything and in today’s economy, completely relatable. Then the movie begs the question: how far are you willing to go? What lines will you cross to achieve your goals? One of my favorite types of movies: very under the radar, not a lot of hype but you walk away really liking it. Type of movie where if you find somebody that watched it as well, the first thing you say, “it was really good wasn’t it?” Yep, it was really good.

**Side Note: while watching this movie, ask yourself, from facial expressions and character tone alone, wouldn’t Gyllenhaal smash it as the new Joker?