It’s like a breathe of fresh air for those in Southern California to see, once again a film that lives and thrives in the city of Los Angeles. Crime journalist Lou Bloom (Jake Gyllenhaal), in his persistence, takes advantage of every opportunity in the city he can find to capture any action on film but aims to do so before everyone else.

Bloom had just discovered the world of news night crawling, where film crews capture breaking stories to later be sold to various news stations. He evolves through the film beginning as a thief, who later stumbles upon a scene that would define his career and future forever. What is revealed at the scene sparks Bloom’s determination from that moment on.

It can easily be said that Gyllenhaal’s character is not your average driven man looking to “crawl” his way up the ladder in a successful career. He portrays the mind of a man, whom many might describe as a psychopath, willing to do whatever it takes to get the story.

“Nightcrawler” brilliantly displays the break out for director and screenwriter Dan Gilroy, making his directorial debut. The action-packed shots and dramatic close-ups, grabs the audience’s eyes intensely and takes them on a thrilling ride. The low-budget film is balanced beautifully between intimate moments and fast-paced car chases through the streets of LA.

The film also draws a lot of attention to the career of Jake Gyllenhaal, who was praised by critics for his performance. Gyllenhaal’s dedication expanded to him losing 30 pounds for the role of Lou Bloom. His dramatic acting flows convincingly flawless through each scene. Gyllenhaal provides an intelligent performance, with his fast paced words. Yet, his simpleness and ease with the calmness in his quiet tone, harmonize the full extent of his acting capabilities.

“Nightcrawler” is an intense crime drama that will creep into the minds of the audience for nights to come. Critics rave that “Nightcrawler” is one of the best films of the year, receiving nearly five stars across the board for its performance.

“Nightcrawler” is rated R and runs 157 minutes.