10. Nightcrawler
Director: Dan Gilroy
Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, Bill Paxton
Synopsis: When Lou Bloom, a driven man desperate for work, muscles into the world of L.A. crime journalism, he blurs the line between observer and participant to become the star of his own story. Aiding him in his effort is Nina, a TV-news veteran.
Nightcrawler's script works perfectly against honest scenes which are accented by strong performances and a rigorous sense of paranoia that hovers above this picture. As a study of someone's psyche, thereʼs little apprehension that Louis Bloom is a deranged person lacking a single sympathetic bone in his body. A gaunt and underweight Gyllenhaal gives arguably the performance of his career in a movie that does have minor flaws, but is ultimately embellished by its concealed sense of humour and melodramatic overtones. — James Arthur Armstrong
