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Activate your digital access. Manage your account settings. My Account Log Out Get the news Log In or Subscribe to skip Sign in with FacebookSign in with GoogleSign in FAQ 61 Share This Story! Let friends in your social network know what you are reading about FacebookEmailTwitterGoogle+LinkedInPinterest Ghoulish 'Nightcrawler' will leave viewers on edge In tense thriller 'Nightcrawler,' Jake Gyllenhaal plays a disturbingly driven guy whose morality is sorely lacking as he goes after the most sordid images to sell to TV news stations. Loading… Post to Facebook ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ Ghoulish 'Nightcrawler' will leave viewers on edge _________ ____________________________________________________________ In tense thriller 'Nightcrawler,' Jake Gyllenhaal plays a d ____________________________________________________________ Check out this story on USATODAY.com: http://usat.ly/1wFg0q {# IFRAME: http://api.recaptcha.net/noscript?k=6Lf7fuESAAAAAJ3_KMIDbkQySsEE0vMkLXU kq4eY #} CancelSend Sent! A link has been sent to your friend's email address. Posted! A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. 2 Join the Nation's Conversation To find out more about Facebook commenting please read the Conversation Guidelines and FAQs Ghoulish 'Nightcrawler' will leave viewers on edge USA Today Movie Critic Claudia Puig discusses "Nightcrawler" and tells you whether to "Catch It," "Rent It," or "Skip It" in this week's edition of The Screening Room. [Puig_Claudia.png] Claudia Puig, USA TODAY 8:24 p.m. EDT October 30, 2014 'Nightcrawler' Jake Gyllenhaal stars as a crime-scene photographer in 'Nightcrawler.'(Photo: Chuck Zlotnick, AP) CONNECTTWEETLINKEDIN 2 COMMENTEMAILMORE Speeding around the sprawling streets and freeways of Los Angeles, Jake Gyllenhaal masterfully plays a creep who profits from other people's misfortunes in Nightcrawler. Thirty pounds lighter, all cheekbones and bulging eyes, Gyllenhaal plays one of the year's most memorable characters in this dark, provocative drama (*** ½ out four; rated R; opens Friday nationwide). Gyllenhaal is Lou Bloom, a self-taught guy who brags that he's "a really fast learner." He looks like a dweeb. But underneath his dorky white shirt sleeves and unfashionable cheap jacket, he's an ambitious and slick predator, part vampire, part vulture. When we first see him, he's a lying, petty criminal. Then, while driving on the night streets, he happens upon a fiery car crash. He's instantly, disturbingly drawn to the human wreckage. Watching with unblinking eyes, he absorbs the scene as a news photographer (Bill Paxton) shows up and documents the carnage. We can see the wheels in Lou's opportunistic mind turning. Soon, he pawns a bike he stole on the Venice boardwalk, trading it for a video camera. A sordid career is born. A weirdly amoral guy, Lou turns on the faux joviality in off-putting ways. When interviewing for an unpaid intern to assist on his nightly stalking, he spouts banalities like "It's a fine opportunity for some lucky someone" in a way that is both humorous and menacing. He's a bit like Being There's Chauncey Gardiner crossed with The Usual Suspects' Keyser Soze. But just as dismaying is Nightcrawler's indictment of TV news and its ghoulish sensationalism. Without flinching, Lou videotapes a grisly accident, then heads for a local news station. There he grabs the attention of a hardened local news director (Rene Russo). Nina greedily seizes upon the graphic footage. Her ratings-driven credo is simple and alarming: "I want something people can't turn away from." An effective sycophant, Lou ingratiates himself and talks Nina into having a drink. Later, he turns scarily manipulative. He is capable of being blandly genial yet deeply menacing. It's a breathtaking performance. Jake Gyllenhaal plays a driven man desperate for work in 'Nightcrawler.' He finds himself working in the world of L.A. crime journalism, where the line between right and wrong is often blurred. VPC A tense car chase with Lou and his sad sack assistant Rick (Riz Ahmed) is riveting. The slimy ways in which Lou manipulates Rick are shockingly reprehensible, The film explores a compelling common thread which links Lou, Nina and the TV news cycle: gross exploitation. Lou quickly learns what Nina and her station prize most. Urban crime is uninteresting to news purveyors. Crimes in good neighborhoods are headline worthy. Race and class are crucial elements in the formula. Lou muscles in on veteran "nightcrawlers," the journalistic equivalent of ambulance chasers. In trolling for mayhem, he pushes the boundaries of morality in search of the most lurid footage. It's blood sport and Lou — whose violent streak we got early glimpses of — takes to this cut-throat subculture easily. Written and directed by Dan Gilroy, the story is transfixing with its powerful performances, sleek visuals and clever skewering of tawdry TV news. (Shockingly, actual Los Angeles TV journalists have featured roles, which makes the viewer wonder if they read the script.) With Lou, in particular, Gilroy has created a fascinating, complex and repellant character. Also to Gilroy's screenwriting credit, even the smallest supporting role is indelibly etched. Gyllenhaal — whose recent roles in End of Watch, Prisoners and Enemy have been terrific — continues his impressive streak. This may well be his best-ever performance, in a compelling film that works equally well as a dynamic thriller, a psychological study, a grim satire and a searing indictment of contemporary journalism. CONNECTTWEETLINKEDIN 2 COMMENTEMAILMORE Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/1wFg0qZ TOP VIDEOS * Rapper Mos Def arrested in South Africa Rapper Mos Def arrested in South Africa 00:49 * Janet Jackson reschedules postponed tour dates Janet Jackson reschedules postponed tour dates 00:38 * Singer Celine Dion's husband, Rene Angelil dies of cancer Singer Celine Dion's husband, Rene Angelil dies of cancer 00:44 * L.A. freeways turn into actual walls in 'Colony' L.A. freeways turn into actual walls in 'Colony' 01:05 * Critic's Corner: 'Angie Tribeca' an open question Critic's Corner: 'Angie Tribeca' an open question 00:50 * Experts weigh in on Oscars' lack of diversity Experts weigh in on Oscars' lack of diversity 02:15 * And the 2016 Oscar nominees are... 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