---
title: "Nightcrawler"
year: 2014
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/nightcrawler"
fi1m_id: "nightcrawler"
imdb_id: "tt2872718"
tmdb_id: 242582
wikidata_id: "Q15154975"
fi1m_score: 85
critics_score: 83
critics_reviews: 15
published: "2026-09-15"
updated: "2026-09-18T08:38:17.827718+00:00"
region: "IL"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Nightcrawler (2014)

Directed by Dan Gilroy · 1h 58m · Crime, Drama, Thriller

## Identity

Nightcrawler

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/nightcrawler
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** nightcrawler
- **IMDb ID:** tt2872718
- **TMDB ID:** 242582
- **Wikidata ID:** Q15154975
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2872718/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/242582, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q15154975

**Fi1m score: 85** · Critics 83 from 15 reviews

*In a sentence:* A man films other people’s worst nights and talks as though he is applying for employee of the month

> Dan Gilroy’s *Nightcrawler* is a tense, unpleasantly funny thriller, with Jake Gyllenhaal making professional enthusiasm frightening. Its complaints about television news are familiar, but the lead performance and Robert Elswit’s Los Angeles nights make it well worth the discomfort.

## Synopsis

Louis Bloom (Jake Gyllenhaal) pursues a career filming crime scenes in Los Angeles, supplying footage to television news. For an ambitious man with few scruples, the trade offers a way to make other people’s suffering pay. Nina Romina (Rene Russo) is a news editor working in a business that prizes shocking images and audience attention. Bloom’s efforts to get ahead bring his methods and the demands of that business into focus. Riz Ahmed plays Rick and Bill Paxton plays Joe Loder in this crime thriller written and directed by Dan Gilroy.

## Review

Dan Gilroy’s *Nightcrawler* is a gripping, darkly funny thriller, though its view of television news is blunt. Gilroy, who also wrote the screenplay, takes professional ambition seriously enough to make it frightening. His central character approaches an ugly trade with the eagerness of somebody determined to make a good impression, and the film asks how far that attitude can carry him. Louis Bloom, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, films crime scenes in Los Angeles for television news.

Gyllenhaal’s unblinking attention makes Bloom difficult to relax around, even before we consider what he wants. He delivers the corporate pep talks with an earnestness that makes their application to this work seem horribly reasonable. We laughed at those pep talks, then felt slightly ashamed of ourselves: he makes exploitation sound like something for which he deserves encouragement. The performance stays disciplined enough for the humour to work, without offering the reassurance that Bloom is secretly joking along with us.

Rene Russo gives news editor Nina Romina enough professional assurance to make her cynicism convincing. We can believe in someone who understands what this business rewards and has become practised at providing it. The supporting parts are less consistently rewarding; too often, other people matter chiefly because of what they let us see in Bloom. That leaves less space than we would like for the cast around him, including Riz Ahmed as Rick and Bill Paxton as Joe Loder.

Robert Elswit’s cinematography gives the film an attraction that complicates its disgust. Los Angeles at night looks inviting, and the neon light makes looking at Bloom’s working environment a pleasure when the work itself is repellent. Kevin Kavanaugh’s production design helps the news business feel like somewhere people simply go to work, which makes its cynicism more persuasive. The film needs that ordinary professional setting if its complaint about media exploitation is to reach beyond the conduct of one alarming cameraman.

John Gilroy’s editing keeps the thriller moving with enough purpose that there is little time to sit back and merely disapprove of Bloom. James Newton Howard’s music contributes to the uneasy pleasure of following him, although the lead performance hardly needs help making us uncomfortable. The cutting is especially valuable when the satire threatens to become a lecture. The pace is one reason the 118 minutes do not drag.

The limitation is in Dan Gilroy’s writing: recognising greed too often seems to count as explaining it. The treatment of sensationalist news repeatedly returns to the saleability of suffering, without finding much more to say about the people doing the selling. That is enough for a forceful crime thriller, but it makes the film less searching as a study of the media. Its strongest insight concerns the respectable language Bloom uses to describe himself, and Gyllenhaal gives those words more weight than the broader satire can manage.

We would not ask for a more sympathetic Bloom, or for an explanation that made him easier to dismiss. His seriousness about getting ahead is what makes spending time with him so troubling, and so watchable. See it if a thriller that makes even a pep talk feel threatening sounds like a good use of an evening.

*Fi1m score 85, published 15 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics respond warmly to Nightcrawler’s dark comedy and tense account of ambition in television news. Praise centres on Jake Gyllenhaal’s Lou Bloom: the reviews repeatedly describe a chilling, unnerving performance whose corporate language makes his ruthlessness grimly funny. Dan Gilroy’s script and direction also draw praise for keeping the satire entertaining, while Robert Elswit’s night-time Los Angeles photography supplies atmosphere. Several reviews single out Rene Russo’s supporting performance as a further strength.

The disagreement concerns how much the film has to say beneath its slick thriller mechanics. The New York Times finds it shallow despite Gyllenhaal’s disciplined performance, while Slant Magazine sees a familiar critique of media exploitation that needs deeper scrutiny. Screen Daily questions whether the character study, thriller and media commentary fit together. The spread is broad, though enthusiasm predominates: even the more doubtful reviews praise the lead performance, making the satire’s depth the main dividing line.

## Straight answers

**Is Nightcrawler worth watching?**

*Nightcrawler* is worth watching for anyone who can stomach a thriller built around a man they will not warm to, and we scored it 85. Jake Gyllenhaal's eager, unblinking crime-scene cameraman and Robert Elswit's neon Los Angeles nights carry it; the satire of television news is blunter than the performance deserves.

**How long is Nightcrawler, and what is it rated?**

*Nightcrawler* runs 1h 58m. It is a crime and drama film.

**Where can I watch Nightcrawler in Israel?**

*Nightcrawler* is not on any streaming or rental service in Israel at the moment. It is available in 20 other countries; change your country at the top of the page to see where. Availability is checked daily.

**How violent or frightening is Nightcrawler, and is it suitable for children?**

*Nightcrawler* carries a 15 certificate in the UK and an R in the US, and it is not suitable for children. Its subject is a man filming crime scenes and selling the footage, so the discomfort is constant even when the violence is not on screen. Teenagers of fifteen and over who can take an unpleasant lead should manage it.

**How does Nightcrawler compare to Ace in the Hole?**

*Nightcrawler* and [*Ace in the Hole*](https://film.one/film/ace-in-the-hole) both follow a newsman who learns how much other people's misery can earn him, and both make his ruthlessness alarmingly persuasive. Wilder's film is angrier and funnier, with Kirk Douglas as the sharper company; Gilroy's is the more tense and atmospheric thriller. Both scripts let greed explain too much.

**What should I watch after Nightcrawler?**

After *Nightcrawler*, try [*Ace in the Hole*](https://film.one/film/ace-in-the-hole) (1951, Fi1m 87): Another reporter discovers how much career progress other people’s misery can buy. Then [*Network*](https://film.one/film/network) (1976, Fi1m 86): Television’s appetite for spectacle gets a louder, angrier and more crowded treatment; and [*Man Bites Dog*](https://film.one/film/man-bites-dog) (1992, Fi1m 78): Filming violence becomes a job with increasingly uncomfortable questions about professional distance.

### Reviews we read (21)

- **Empire**, Dan Jolin (5/5): The critic calls it sharp, dark, satirical and bone-rattlingly thrilling, highlighting Dan Gilroy's cracking script and direction alongside Robert Elswit's striking visuals. Jake Gyllenhaal delivers a career-peak performance as the chilling, ambitious Lou Bloom. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/nightcrawler-review/)
- **Radio Times**, Damon Wise (5/5): The critic praises the film as a dark, entertaining neo-noir and fascinating character study that doubles as a state-of-the-nation address on cut-throat media culture. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-fg9iws/nightcrawler/)
- **Time Out**, Joshua Rothkopf (5/5): The critic hails it as a viciously funny, major portrait of media perversity and insatiable ambition, singling out Gyllenhaal’s ferocious, career-best turn as the amoral antihero. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/nightcrawler)
- **The New Yorker**, Anthony Lane (85/100, inferred): The film is dangerously beautiful and adeptly paced, with a cultural charge from its focus on money and entrepreneurship in the news trade; Gyllenhaal’s unblinking Lou is the scariest element. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/11/03/making-news-2)
- **Total Film**, Jamie Graham (85/100, inferred): The critic describes it as a ghoulish satire with its finger on the pulse, praising Jake Gyllenhaal's sensational, chilling and mesmerising lead performance as Lou Bloom. The film is commended for its mood, neon-soaked LA visuals and strong supporting turns despite lacking subtlety. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/nightcrawler-review/)
- **Little White Lies**, Adam Woodward (4/4/3): The critic calls it a chilling modern monster movie and caustic satire on sensationalist TV news, praising Gyllenhaal’s unsettling, career-best performance as the sociopathic protagonist. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/nightcrawler)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Kenneth Turan (80/100, inferred): Nightcrawler is pulp with a purpose, a smart film grounded in disturbing reality and powered by an extraordinary Jake Gyllenhaal performance that examines a hollow-eyed hustler thriving in a society we have made. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-nightcrawler-movie-review-20141031-column.html)
- **Screen Daily** (60/100, inferred): The critic finds Gyllenhaal’s gutsy performance compelling but notes that the tonally bold debut cannot fully reconcile its ambitions as character study, thriller or media commentary. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/nightcrawler/5077188.article)
- **The New York Times**, A.O. Scott (45/100, inferred): The film is a modest urban thriller with a disciplined, creepy performance by Jake Gyllenhaal, but it remains slick and shallow, never reaching the gravity of its Scorsese influences. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/31/movies/nightcrawler-stars-jake-gyllenhaal-as-an-obsessive.html)
- **Evening Standard**, Charlotte O'Sullivan: The critic praises Jake Gyllenhaal's intense, Method-driven performance as the driven crime-scene videographer Lou Bloom and highlights Rene Russo's superb turn as the cynical news editor. The film is seen as a smart, darkly comic thriller that effectively captures real-world horror and the tricks of the journalist's trade. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/nightcrawler-film-review-jake-gyllenhaal-takes-staring-to-a-new-level-in-this-darkly-comic-thriller-9830201.html)
- **Slant Magazine**, Chris Cabin: The critic finds Gilroy's debut offers only a familiar vision of media figures as ratings-obsessed exploiters of misery. It singles out Gyllenhaal's unnerving performance for praise while faulting the shallow satire and failure to deeply explore the media's complicity. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/nightcrawler/)
- **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw: The critic praises Jake Gyllenhaal’s unnerving, icily comic performance as the deluded antihero Lou Bloom and notes strong support from Rene Russo. The film is called a lean, grown-up thriller that stands out for its hard-nosed drama and memorable monster, despite a crowd-pleasing chase at the end. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/nov/02/nightcrawler-review-dan-gilroy-jake-gyllenhaal-rene-russo)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Jordan Mintzer: The review describes Gilroy's debut as oscillating between neo-noir and satire, with Gyllenhaal delivering a standout unhinged performance as the ruthless protagonist. It notes that while entertaining, the film's tonal shifts and loose screws prevent it from being fully solid. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/nightcrawler-toronto-review-730670/)
- **Den of Geek**, Don Kaye (5/5): The critic calls it a superb and original thriller that entertainingly critiques media greed and societal ills through a riveting performance by Gyllenhaal as a sociopathic cameraman. They single out the atmospheric cinematography of LA at night and the sharp script for praise. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/nightcrawler-review/)
- **Collider**, Matt Goldberg (A): The critic praises the film's scathing portrait of ruthless ambition and local news sensationalism, centered on an amoral protagonist. Jake Gyllenhaal's intense, chilling performance as Lou Bloom is singled out as the year's best. [Read](https://collider.com/nightcrawler-review/)
- **The Playlist**, The Playlist Staff (A-): The critic lauds Gyllenhaal's revelatory performance and the film's dark, cynical examination of ambition and media ethics, noting its thrilling execution despite some early issues. [Read](https://theplaylist.net/tiff-review-dan-gilroys-nightcrawler-starring-jake-gyllenhaal-rene-russo-20140906/)
- **Digital Spy**, Emma Dibdin (80/100, inferred): The critic highlights Gyllenhaal's unsettling performance as an ambitious and ruthless stringer in a black-hearted satirical thriller about crime journalism and TV news sensationalism. They praise the pulpy, tense script and neon-tinged vision of LA while noting weaker supporting roles. [Read](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a602331/nightcrawler-review-jake-gyllenhaal-excels-in-black-hearted-thriller/)
- **HeyUGuys**, Brody Rossiter (80/100, inferred): The critic praises the film's scathing satire on news media and Jake Gyllenhaal's transformative performance as the ambitious, depraved Lou Bloom, highlighting its relevance and unique take on capitalism and voyeurism. [Read](https://www.heyuguys.com/nightcrawler-review/)
- **Eye for Film**, Donald Munro (75/100, inferred): The review commends the skillful portrayal of the corporate metaphor through black comedy and action, praising Gyllenhaal's creepy performance and the film's commentary on media exploitation. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/nightcrawler-2014-film-review-by-donald-munro)
- **Deadline**, Pete Hammond: Pete Hammond highlights Gyllenhaal’s best performance maybe ever in this film about an unscrupulous videographer, along with a fine turn by Rene Russo, directed by Dan Gilroy. [Read](https://deadline.com/2014/10/nightcrawler-review-pete-hammond-on-jake-gyllenhaals-local-news-creep-1201266941/)
- **The Wrap**: The critic praises Jake Gyllenhaal's astonishing performance in Dan Gilroy’s merciless satire that denounces the crime porn of local TV news, singling out the eerie use of corporate pep talk dialogue. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/nightcrawler-review-jake-gyllenhaal-rene-russo-riz-ahmed/)

## Details

- **Director:** Dan Gilroy
- **Director:** Dan Gilroy
- **Writer:** Dan Gilroy
- **Cinematography:** Robert Elswit
- **Editor:** John Gilroy
- **Music:** James Newton Howard
- **Production design:** Kevin Kavanaugh
- **Costume design:** Amy Westcott
- **Producer:** David Lancaster, Jennifer Fox, Jake Gyllenhaal
- **Cast:** Jake Gyllenhaal as Louis Bloom; Rene Russo as Nina Romina; Riz Ahmed as Rick; Bill Paxton as Joe Loder; Kevin Rahm as Frank Kruse; Michael Hyatt as Detective Frontieri; Price Carson as Detective Lieberman; Ann Cusack as Linda
- **Runtime:** 1h 58m
- **Release (Israel):** 30 October 2014
- **Genres:** Crime, Drama, Thriller
- **Budget:** $8 million
- **Box office:** $47 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uaYhPpV7G4

## Where to watch in Israel

Not streaming, renting or buying in Israel at the last check.

Also available in: AT, AU, BR, CA, CL, CO, DE, DK, FR, GB, IE, IT, KR, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PL, SE, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Academy Awards 2015: Best Writing, Original Screenplay (nominated)

## If you liked this

- *Ace in the Hole* (1951), Fi1m 87: Another reporter discovers how much career progress other people’s misery can buy. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/ace-in-the-hole.md)
- *Network* (1976), Fi1m 86: Television’s appetite for spectacle gets a louder, angrier and more crowded treatment. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/network.md)
- *Man Bites Dog* (1992), Fi1m 78: Filming violence becomes a job with increasingly uncomfortable questions about professional distance. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/man-bites-dog.md)
- *The Chaser* (2008): A nightmarish urban pursuit for those drawn to the thriller’s harsher edges.
- *The Assistant* (2019), Fi1m 81: A quieter look at workplace obedience and the language that protects predatory behaviour. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-assistant.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/nightcrawler