Nightcrawler is a film about obsession. There are a lot of themes and explored but the foremost is obsession and Jake Gyllenhaal plays his character to almost perfection as Lou Bloom strives for success and the American dream.

We first meet Lou as a lonely outcast, a hustler looking for any opportunity to scratch together a living but we quickly find that there is a drive and a determination in him, a compulsion to strive and succeed. Dan Gilroy’s script is so tight that Lou’s discovery of his next occupation and trajectory are plotted concisely. There’s absolutely no fat or fluff in this story and the dialogue is just fantastic. All of this has so much weight because it’s delivered by a never better Jake Gyllenhaal.

The character of Lou Bloom had to be one that was sought by many actors in Hollywood but after seeing Gyllenhaal’s performance there was no one better. He’s transformed physically but it’s more than that. His speech and his mannerisms are delivered at almost machine gun pace and he’s predatory in his movements.

As the movie careens towards it’s final moments I was so impressed with the tightness and the tension that’s created. There’s a little problem with believability but none of that takes away from the excitement. Dan Gilroy and Jake Gyllenhaal crafted a masterpiece, a master class and a movie to be seen.

Recommend? Absolutely!