Dan Gilroy's debut film takes the viewer deep into nocturnal Los Angeles and into the world of his singular creation, freelance videographer Louis Bloom. As played by an electric Jake Gyllenhaal, Louis is opportunistic, intelligent, and a sociopath. The film is a commentary on the 'if it bleeds, it leads' ethos of contemporary television journalism and an intense character study of a unique twenty-first century creature who lives on the fringe of society until he discovers a path to power in the media world. Rene Russo shines as a new producer whose ethics have been corroded by her profession and who meets her match (and then some) in the mercurial Bloom. Gilroy, inspired by the work of pioneering photographer Weegee, creates a memorable tableau of Los Angeles as a back lot of grisly crime scenes and shady operators. Nightcrawler noir not to be missed.
Program subject to change.