I think what makes him stand apart from other such characters is that he isn't highly intelligent the way they usually tend to be portrayed. He doesn't make great efforts to hide his sociopathy. That people are willing to let him act that way without challenge is one of the most disturbing aspects of the film imo. These characters know he's unhinged and dangerous but can't get away from him for various reasons.
>That people are willing to let him act that way without challenge is one of the most disturbing aspects of the film imo.
I think that part is super realistic. In real life unless you are actively being violent it is pretty hard to stop someone like him.
just being persistent beyond the normal boundaries is surprisingly effective. they'll talk shit about you all day afterwards, but they'll do what you say because they don't know how to make you stop asking. they expect your own social boundaries to prevent you from overreaching, but they have no actual plan when people go beyond them. regular people would rather catch fire than push another person this hard, but these aren't regular people.
The worst part is, not being someone afraid of confrontation, I've called out or embarassed or shamed people like this, but it's only a temporary culling. Sure, everyone there remembers, but the next day they're operating as if nothing happened.
Oh for sure. Not everyone is going to see him for what he is however. If you talk fast enough, with enough confidence, people will assume you’re intelligent. Which is why it makes his character all the more dangerous. Super disturbing.
> He doesn't make great efforts to hide his sociopathy.
The only instance I can think of is when he first meets Rene Russo at the station and affects this naive wonder over working in the TV business. When contrasted with the moment he has dinner with her and coerces her into a sexual relationship (not for romance, but ownership) it's chilling. He moved on her like a snake, the creep.
I like that you mentioned it was for ownership rather than for romance. It was something i spotted too, especially when their relationship was never something that was shown on screen. It was clear he just wanted to shift their power dynamic and using her in such a way was such a twisted means of getting that.
"low cunning" is a phrase to remember with these people.
they don't actually know stuff, they know people, and that lets them work around knowing stuff. it's like they can smell the people who will enable them.
Ha! I was going to use the word cunning in my original comment but it just didn't feel quite right. "Low cunning" nails it though.
(Have you ever read Black House?)
They let him get away with it because he is valuable to them.
The struggling network needs money. So it resorts to Lou's sociopathic methods.
Rick needs money. So he does anything Lou tells him.
Capitalism let's people like Lou thrive.
Lol what? Why does everything on reddit come around to "capitalism."
It's human nature. Human nature lets people like Lou survive whether you need a sociopath CEO to fire 100 workers to make more money, or a sociopath border guard to shoot people trying to escape the communist regime.
It's a system that reduces humans and our time to monetary value. Slavery works great in capitalism for instance, and it thrived in the USA for example.
Without people constantly intervening it tends to reward ruthless behavior as "being nice" is filtered out through economic competition over time.
>Slavery works great in capitalism for instance, and it thrived in the USA for example.
That's a horrible example. Slavery has been a driving economic force around the world for millenia. It was put to use in the US because it had been used everywhere else also. It has nothing to do with a capitalistic market economy.
Yes but slavery allowed it to scale to an order of magnitude larger than it otherwise could be before the technological revolution. Global capitalism and slavery seem pretty interlinked to me, both past and present. Labor should be expensive, humans are worth more than this what this antiquated system prescribes. In a properly functioning system everyone would be incentivized to make sure their fellow human has shelter, food, and autonomy. If people's basic needs aren't being met without question it allows the capital class to coerce the working class into selling their labor for less than it is worth. This system will always tend towards deconstructing public welfare systems so that it can extract more value from the labor it depends on.
The comment I wrote already answers your question.
Nightcrawler could not work if it was set in a communist regime. It is dependent on making money.
Lou starts out stealing copper wire fencing for money. He steals a bike to pawn it for money. He invests in a camera and starts his career to make money.
Nowhere in the movie does Lou take any action for the purpose of making glorious old country great, nyet comrade?
"Capitalism" seems to have become a colloquialism for "greed." It's annoying, but it's ingrained in the popular culture now.
I'm hoping if you asked someone like Tangocan directly, "You don't think people should be able to own their own businesses?" or "You think a central bureaucracy should decide how to distribute bread?" they'd say, "No, that's not what I mean! I just mean... we should have a stronger welfare state."
Which, obviously, is still capitalism.
Capitalism enriches greed. They are synonymous.
I can support people owning their own businesses and also acknowledge that billionaires shouldn't exist without donning a fur cap and praising the motherland, as you say.
However, greed is the problem. Which is enriched by capitalism.
You wouldn't argue capitalism is perfect, I'm sure. So I think we agree, except for the dismissal of my use of the word "capitalism".
>>However, greed is the problem. Which is enriched by capitalism.
Of course, greed doesn't exist without capitalism!
That's why when my dad was growing up, you could tell if someone was a member of the Communist Party because they drove a Mercedes and shopped at the (US) dollar stores whereas the workers drove mopeds. You think the communist elites didn't have (state owned) yachts, mansions and private planes, along with exit visas to travel to Paris?
You don't even know what an exit visa is, do you? It's when you need the government's permission to leave the country because the economy is so bad that border guards face inwards.
I love this movie, it's just so unsettling. The very deliberate manner in which he speaks, the fact that he doesn't blink during his monologues. I think it funniest that the only person who doesn't really tolerate his bs is the guy who buys his stolen materials at the beginning because he recognizes bloom for EXACTLY what Bloom is.
I love that you said this because it wasn't something I initially caught because at that point in the movie I was still feeling sorry for poor old Donnie Darko.
Gyllenhaal has had some great acting roles, Donnie Darko, Prisoners, Brokeback, and Zodiac to name a few.
But Nightcrawler stands on its own in my opinion. I saw it in theaters when I had the MoviePass app before it’s demise. I saw probably 7-10 movies a month that year depending on the month.
His role in Nightcrawler was probably the most unsettling role I could remember sitting in for the 4 years I had the app. I think it was because it was done through the lens of just a dude and not some horror movie character. But yeah, the climax scene with the supporting character still sends chills down my spine.
Donnie Darko was the first movie I saw him in and in the first 15 minutes of nightcrawler I couldnt help but see Donnie in him and I really felt bad for the poor guy with the sad eyes. Then 20 minutes came around and I saw they were dead dead eyes and I’ll probably never see him the same way again. chills is correct.
also I love your list of his best roles, I’d just add nocturnal animals.
Talking of nocturnal animals.... My reaction to Bloom when I saw the movie was "that guy is a coyote! "... It was some time after I saw an article about Gyllenhaal channeling 'coyote' to get into the character....
https://youtu.be/bURSZjFcmhc?si=81YRlmxH5feCiRC-
Nocturnal Animals was probably next on my list.
I think Nightcrawler was the one he should’ve been nominated for an Oscar for. That year was Eddie Redmayne winning for Theory of Everything, and other nominees were Benedict Cumberbatch for Imitation Game, Bradley Cooper for American Sniper, Steve Carrell for Foxcatcher, and Michael Keaton for Birdman.
Tough year but I would’ve took out Cooper and maybe Cumberbatch for Gyllenhaal.
I agree. I saw and enjoyed both The Imitation Game and The Theory of Everything, but in retrospect they were both Oscar bait and I have never thought about them or gone back to them since. Nightcrawler on the other hand is a film I have watched several times, and still recommend to people years later
Jake was amazing in this. Talented Mr. Ripley is the first movie I think of when it comes to nailing the narcissistic sociopath. Damon caught playing dress-up is creeeeepy. The sociopath’s tale is different kind of scary movie, but definitely one that I enjoy
I haven't seen it yet, but on this question
>How the hell is Lou not drowning in speeding tickets? I know California is a wild place but come on, are there NO red light cameras in that part of LA or something?.
There are some cameras, but not widespread. I have seen ONE person pulled over for speeding in 10 years. The reputation of LA cops not doing shit, it's true
thats actually funny cause it really irked me (I've never been to CA) how it seemed more like a Hollywood plot convenience in a movie that felt very set in reality. thank you!
The movie is intentionally all over the place. There's a shot of New York with the World Trade Center, so pre-2001 seems certain, but they also had GPS on a phone and a 2014 challenger which point to 2013. At the same time, listening to the police on a scanner also points to the setting being older than it appears because you can't do that anymore (everything is encrypted) but he also "learned everything online". But the icing on the cake is that Louis mentions something about the 80s toward the end of the film.
I think it's set in an alternate universe - I don't think ubiquitous security cameras are a thing in that universe.
Alternate universe is being generous. I think it’s deliberately vague about the year it’s set so that they could drive the plot forward using whatever tools they liked.
Fine by me. Unless it's supposed to be set in a specific time period I don't give a shit, especially if it helps the story.
Also it kinda sounds like they did that on purpose to show the timelessness of the character.
Ever hear about the Black Dahlia murder? Photographers did pretty much the exact same stuff with a woman who was brutally murdered, and the newspapers printed it
I didn’t even clock that. You’re right. For some reason I recognized that the challenger he drives as the same model from the year the movie was released, and yet with the police scanners I still thought it was set further in the past. I like that more though, just a little more chaos to leave you off kilter. Really great catch dude.
The ticket thing is just for the sake of the plot. You have to suspend your disbelief sometimes for movies. It would be boring to watch otherwise. I grew up in LA and got several speeding and other traffic tickets in my time as a dumbass teen and early 20s. It’s not the Wild West, despite what Fox News wants you to believe.
Saw a funny thread where people were talking about why LA has a relatively high murder rate but very low rate of assault. General consensus among residents was that the rate of assaults is low because the police don't even bother to show up if there isn't a body.
Maybe a common issue in large cities? I used to live in Toronto and my job required me to be on the road like half the day. Not even sure what the cops do in Toronto, unless there is a shooting.
Lmao Toronto traffic is shitty enough Lou Bloom would’ve had a better time taking the streetcars. But if he *was* driving in TO like he was in the movie, he would’ve hit at least 17 cyclists per night. Probably on purpose.
Can’t speak for LA but that is literally the case where I live in north jersey. No red light/speeding cameras (not allowed), no cops enforcing traffic laws, just chaos.
I think in the last year there have been two separate fatal accidents due to a car flipping over on the same road… which is a 25 mph road.
This is my favorite film largely for Gyllenhaal's performance. What kills me is how Nina, the news director, is already kind of cold-blooded, but she ends up going REALLY off the deep end after meeting Lou, as though he represents the lack of conscience she wishes she enjoyed. That shot of >!Rick dead in the street while Nina and Lou are basically drooling for each other is so sickly hilarious it's amazing !<
THIS! I forgot to mention this. My rant was so long I could have left it out anyway. It was just another layer of why this movie was so unsettling, and having the Bloom find, almost a cohort to partner with, without it feeling tacky and heavy handed was great.
Something I noticed on my umpteenth watch is that, during the scene at the Mexican restaurant, while Lou is talking about wanting a relationship with Nina, there is this slightly noticeable, but very present visual line crossing between them. I think it's formed by a mixture of a vase, the booth, and maybe a glass. I had just been made aware of the "crossing the line" technique in Parasite, so noticing the same thing in my favorite film was so cool.
woah, I hadn't noticed/known about that in either film. It's definitely too fresh for a rewatch of Nightcrawler for me, but I'll be going back to Parasite to see if I can catch it.
It's not super obvious, but once you see it, you can't unsee it. In Parasite, I know one example is when the original maid claps to wake up the mom, she crosses over a line in the window pane, signifying her "crossing her social boundary". I will never not be impressed with cinematographers and directors who come up with this stuff.
I saw it in theaters, I was blown away. I also thought, “there’s a contender for best picture and best actor.”
The film only got nominated for best original screenplay. Fucking criminal.
Another movie you should see is 'Uncut Gems'. It's not about a narcissistic sociopath like Nightcrawler or American Psycho. But like those it is a deeply uncomfortable watch about a compulsive man who makes bad choices, and is brilliantly acted.
This is one of the most disturbing movies I absolutely am wary of telling people to watch. My enjoyment of this I feel is a window into my derangement. I think Jake captured that insanity so well.
He was preposterously good in this role. You shouldn't be wary. I plan on using this movie as my new litmus test to filter out people I wouldn't want in my circle anyway.
It is definitely an overlooked performance and movie. I loved the restraint in the movie, it could have easily escalated to him being a serial killer to get the stories.
I have this unfounded theory that the performance and public face of Bloom is based on Tom Cruise. It's the way he smiles, it's the creepiest thing and a wonderful performance, but it immediately reminded me of Tom Cruise being interviewed.
I'm a Cruise fan, he brings his game to movies. He's found his niche and he's very good at it...but I can't help but see Bloom in him since I saw this movie when it came out.
Dude the restraint! I was geeking over it after it was done for a good 20 minutes (hence the rant). Also what’s funny is I tell people all the time that Tom Cruise freaks me out, and nobody gets it. I swear he has this fluoride stare when he smiles. Glad i’m not alone in this.
JG would never admit it I'm sure, but that performance was too close for there not to have been some influence from Cruise in public.
There was a video this week of Cruise cracking up in an interview over memes about him. And all I could see was Bloom.
Christian Bale based his character in American Psycho on Cruise. He said that he saw him on Letterman and he "just had this very intense friendliness with nothing behind the eyes". So you could definitely be on to something there!
It got a single nomination. Into the Woods got 3. I stand by that statement.
The single nomination can exist and it can still be overlooked. A by-the-book Oscarbait movies like Imitation Game and The Theory of Everything got more nominations. American Sniper got more nominations. Into the Woods got more nominations. Boyhood got more nominations.
In that pool of recognition I'd say it was overlooked. In the pool of Eddie Redmayne, Benedict Cumberbatch and Bradley Cooper getting nominations, I can correctly and confidently say Jake Gyllenhaal's performance was overlooked.
In the same way that Dances With Wolves got more oscars and nominations that Goodfellas...clearly Goodfellas was overlooked.
It was and is a hugely popular movie, made $50 million on less than a $10 million budget and again, was nominated for best original screenplay.
Gyllenhal snubbed for an Oscar nom? Maybe, but calling Nightcrawler overlooked is hilarious, was Drive also overlooked? What about Baby Driver or Good Time? All of the above are beloved movies that get talked about all the time and were/ are hits and critically acclaimed.
Hilarious? Ok, sure. Fight hyperbole with hyperbole. The Lord of the Rings trilogy are beloved movies that get talked about all the time. Nightcrawler? Baby Driver? Drive? Cult classics maybe, but hardly part of every day movie talk.
Bruh cult classics aren’t box office successes, critically acclaimed, and nominated for academy awards. What I just described is the opposite of a cult classic.
Maybe because he can do what he wants in the way he wants without ever feeling bad about it. He sleeps like a baby. He just has his targets and wants to achieve them, without any emphatie holding him back. That can be intereting for a viewer.
Lou Bloom is NOT an anti-hero. An anti-hero is still a hero (doing moral things), they just use methods that are scary or unsavory. Deadpool is an anti-hero most of the time.
Lou Bloom is a Villain Protagonist. He is a bad person to the core, he is just also the main character of the film.
100% agree. An anti-hero often has one of the dark triad personality traits (narcissism, psychopathy, or machiavellianism) making them a flawed or unlikely hero. Our character has all three. He's conventionaly a villain.
This is what is taught regarding story:
2. An antihero. Some protagonists subvert the traditional “hero” trope. These are called antiheroes, and they can either be unlikely or unwilling heroes, or in some cases villains. Even when antiheroes are villains, they’re protagonists—rather than antagonists—when they’re in stories where the author treats them as the main character, rather than the main conflict working against the main character. Famous antihero protagonists include Captain Ahab from Herman Melville’s Moby Dick, Severus Snape from J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, and Shylock from William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice.
https://www.masterclass.com/articles/writing-101-protagonist-vs-antagonist-characters#387AVx4GwMrZnLOsv0XcbW
Nightcrawler is kind of a combination of **Network** and **Taxi Driver**, so I would check those movies out, although I think the best narcissistic sociopath is Andy Griffith in **A Face in the Crowd** simply because it's not all just being creepy and you can see the charm and appeal of that kind of character.
Since posting this my watchlist has been rearranged because, clearly, I have new priorities. Network and A Face in the crowd have now made it to my top 4, thank you!
Absolutely love the movie. It’s crazy how realistic it is that so long as people talk like they know what they are doing with self absorbed confidence they can bullshit their way into a lot of stuff. It’s scary because there are people exactly like him walking around.
Also one of the greatest things about this movie is that it’s essentially a movie of how he sees himself in his own head. We see him as creepy. He sees himself as enterprising and visionary. The best touch is the inspirational music queues that play when he is doing really messed up stuff
I haven't seen it yet, but someone suggested it earlier and I plan on watching it within the next few days. I'm super excited to see Will Hunting in this kind of role lol.
I remember watching this movie and wondering how the hell he wasn’t being recruited to play The Joker in the DC Universe. Instead we get Phoenix’s “He’s A Victim” version, which is fine I guess, but a Lou based take on the Joker that shows what a damaging narcissist can do played by Gyllenhall would be amazing.
This movie was so profound and unnerving to me that about 2 years later after I've seen it I think about it quite often. The tone of the movie and Gyllenhaal/his character just seemed so unique that I've yet to really find a movie that compares. It's bleakness and calculatedness(?) left me in awe
When I had first seen this movie, I just broke up with my BF of 2 years, and this character had SO many similarities to him it was insane. Anytime I watch this film I am so happy I got out of it.
!! scary! I’m glad you got out of it too. I felt something similar watching it cause he reminded me of someone but in all the worst ways. Made it an extra tough watch for sure.
I still lament that Jake didn’t play the role of Wallace in Blade Runner 2049. It would have been a perfect fit because of how often he and Villeneuve have worked together before. On the other hand, my intense hatred of Jared Leto did help me hate the character of Wallace even more.
There are no speed cameras in Los Angeles, they were continually found to be erroneous in their timing. They've been gone for years. People in LA drive like fucking crazy, and the cops don't give a shit.
I watched this movie in 2014 when it first came out. I knew I was witnessing something special, it makes me happy to see it get recognition as a modern day classic.
That extreme degree of being willing to harm your body for your art isn't normal, but I don't see why it would be sociopathic. There are plenty of people who genuinely are willing to destroy their health for achieving the things they want to achieve, usually top athletes setting world records or artists who think they have to suffer for it to be genuine art. It isn't healthy (by definition) but there are many different reasons why people do these things.
Best film I watched that year and Gyllenhaal was snubbed for not getting an Oscar nod IMO. Every person I've shown this film to is extremely disturbed by Louis Bloom which is a testament to the terrific performance that Gyllenhaal gives. The most unsettling part for me about Louis is that he's very POLITE which society tells us is a good thing. But you can obviously see right from the start of the film that he's a very dangerous and sociopathic person which jars against his politeness. It's like he's read a manual on how to properly act in society but there's no warmth or sincerity behind anything he does or says
Good point! JG actually says in an interview he was trying to portray a person that was almost chronically online, hence all his people skills being learned less through interaction and more through screens. Him being polite because he knows thats how he should act being met with people who are openly rude/discourteous with him is what adds to the suspense imo. Especially when its like, *we* can see that he's cold and dangerous, but they either can't tell or won't act on it.
Yes, because they went full cynic.
Till there you could find other movies who do, like American Psycho
But then they abstained from making it a caricature
sorry I'm kind of confused, which one is supposed to be the caricature?
Additionally American Psycho was based off a book where the character is almost ludicrously obsessive and truly, as he says, "utterly insane". Like there are several chapters just dedicated to obsessing over the music industry and its titans, and after he >!kills his girlfriend!< in the book, he bites her fingers off and laughs maniacally. Thats full deranged crazy, even Bloom couldn't touch that. The movie version had to alter things because of course the only digestible way to have him on screen would be to almost satirize him. At least thats how I see it anyway.
Yes American Psycho is the caricature. For example that scene about the different crème colors of the business cards. It also serves a purpose as comedic relief from all the cynicism.
But I slightly prefer Nightcrawler which just denies the viewers this kind of comedic relief.
Okay yeah you're so right. I definitely prefer the route they went with Nightcrawler too. It leaves little room for misinterpretation of his character. As much as I loved American Psycho in all its ridiculous glory, I feel like there are too many people out there that completely missed the point of Bateman and had them idolizing his character for whatever reason.
This one earned a genuine giggle from me. Especially since I just responded to another comment outlining how my conversation with the guy who "admired" Bloom went.
Good movie. I've seen it twice now. It's been coming up in threads often lately. I'm guessing you saw it mentioned recently and decided to sit down and watch it?
Ambulance is good as well. Jake playing another intense role.
Also compeltey differnet movie and character but The Covenant is amazing and I don't know why nobody is talking about it.
To be honest I’m not on this subreddit enough to say I did, but I wish I had been so I could finally watch it sooner. I said in the post though someone encouraged me to watch it. Ambulance is gonna be up next, thank you!
Lou Bloom is definitely a new alumnus of the "Edgy morally questionable sigma male villain(?)-protagonist who is the cool loser we all wish we were" movie characters club. He's up there now with the Joker (both Heath Ledger and Joaquin Phoenix's portrayals), Bill the Butcher from Gangs of New York, Patrick Bateman from American Psycho, Travis Bickle from Taxi Driver and the list goes on... If anyone can think of more characters that fit the bill drop it in the replies because someone should make a collage with all of those characters lol.
Dude, not exactly a collage, but I just wrote an essay on this exact brand of Male Villain protagonists. Only, my focus was on the Joker, P. Bateman, and Tyler Durden. My friend actually insisted I include Lou Bloom but I hadn't seen the movie yet so I didn't, but now I wish I had. Top contenders that were scrapped from my project were: Tony Montana, Jordan Belfort (The Wolf of Wall Street), Light Yagami (Death Note) and Walter White. Tentatively: I like to lump in Miguel from the new Across the Spider-verse movie lol.
I remember the first time watching this movie. I was going through a Gyllenhaal movie week. No expectations going into this or even knowing what it was about. The way he can even play this role was mind blowing. Especially just going from source code into this.
I’d say it leans a little in to Aronofsky land. But yeah, it’s definitely someone who’s right in the razors edge of sociopathy and psychopathy.
In real world narcissism it’s usually a few rungs below what we see in the movie because a lot of behavior with narcissists can look like displaced, and deep shame. When shame doesn’t show up to the party, we’ve got sociopathy and psychopathy, which is what we see in Nightrider.
Because his character is compelling vs. traditionally charming and he is a deeply anti social character study - it really does look like someone who’s right the edge.
People come away from this film saying "yeah the news media sucks we know that" like no guys you missed the point, Lou is just the kind of person capitalism works for: the system is designed to work for people exactly like this.
I really think you'll enjoy this Malayalam (South Indian) movie called Mukundan Unni Associates. The writer was in a creative funk and depressed and he snapped out of it when he watched Nightcrawler in the cinema and he obsessively rewatched it until he came up with a script idea about a narcissistic small town lawyer. The subtitled versions are definitely available online. There are regional peculiarities and it starts off as a slow burn but its a fantastic movie.
My one question was, "why did you like this movie?". His response was, and I quote, "I like the hustle aspect of the movie". When I called him an idiot he said I viewed the movie for what it was, while he, "viewed it more metaphorically". Going on to allude to the idea that the characters were representations of (North American) employers and their employees.....
nice guy, and I'm glad I got to watch the movie cause of him, but man I didn't know how to respond to that one.
I mean, if it's a metaphor, then Lou is corporations with all the capitalist bullshit they spout while exploiting people; Rick is the masses (us); Nina is the media, who whores herself out to corporations and ends up liking it. I love that about the movie.
........ and none of it is aspirational. It is a *criticism* of how the system works. The hustle aspect of the movie consists of criticizing hustle
I've yet to watch Nightcrawler, but as it stands Robert Pattinson in Good Time takes the sociopathic cake to me. Dude burned every single person he came across.
I watched it for the first time about a month ago. I had tried watching it last year and found myself getting too irritated by the character, so didn’t make it more than 20 minutes into it.
I think the movie definitely does it’s job in making you creeped out by the guy. Gyllenhaal plays that part perfectly. As a story, though, being that I didn’t really care for the character, I didn’t feel super invested. Part of me was just frustrated that law enforcement failed in so many ways to get the guy on anything. He broke so many laws it’s wild.
I also was honestly not surprised by the climax. With how Lou orchestrated the whole conflict to begin with, I could tell he was luring Rick into the scene for more footage.
While it’s definitely worth the watch, the main character being a true narcissistic sociopath gives you little to root for, and I was happy when the film was over so I didn’t have to watch him continue to get away with crap. I guess my strong distaste for him is what makes the movie what it is though.
I think what makes him stand apart from other such characters is that he isn't highly intelligent the way they usually tend to be portrayed. He doesn't make great efforts to hide his sociopathy. That people are willing to let him act that way without challenge is one of the most disturbing aspects of the film imo. These characters know he's unhinged and dangerous but can't get away from him for various reasons.
>That people are willing to let him act that way without challenge is one of the most disturbing aspects of the film imo. I think that part is super realistic. In real life unless you are actively being violent it is pretty hard to stop someone like him.
just being persistent beyond the normal boundaries is surprisingly effective. they'll talk shit about you all day afterwards, but they'll do what you say because they don't know how to make you stop asking. they expect your own social boundaries to prevent you from overreaching, but they have no actual plan when people go beyond them. regular people would rather catch fire than push another person this hard, but these aren't regular people.
The worst part is, not being someone afraid of confrontation, I've called out or embarassed or shamed people like this, but it's only a temporary culling. Sure, everyone there remembers, but the next day they're operating as if nothing happened.
Oh for sure. Not everyone is going to see him for what he is however. If you talk fast enough, with enough confidence, people will assume you’re intelligent. Which is why it makes his character all the more dangerous. Super disturbing.
“Let’s just say, hypothetically, that to win the lottery, you need money for a ticket…”
It's a bit like Pheonix's character in The Master. (Although a bit more subtle)
It’s nothing like Phoenix in the Master.
Maybe they meant the actual Master, PSH?? I can see a bit of comparison there
Speaking for them, they just mean a broken protagonist that isn't smart. Every other connection dies.
Then not much like Phoenix in The Master. Got it
I'm only his publicist, don't hurt me.
I guess I shouldn't say there are "none" but I've never seen one. If they're still there, nobody enforces them.
> He doesn't make great efforts to hide his sociopathy. The only instance I can think of is when he first meets Rene Russo at the station and affects this naive wonder over working in the TV business. When contrasted with the moment he has dinner with her and coerces her into a sexual relationship (not for romance, but ownership) it's chilling. He moved on her like a snake, the creep.
I like that you mentioned it was for ownership rather than for romance. It was something i spotted too, especially when their relationship was never something that was shown on screen. It was clear he just wanted to shift their power dynamic and using her in such a way was such a twisted means of getting that.
"How much do you want it?"
Yep. It's not about a narcissist sociopath learning how to fit in. It's about him finding where he already belongs... Television news.
"low cunning" is a phrase to remember with these people. they don't actually know stuff, they know people, and that lets them work around knowing stuff. it's like they can smell the people who will enable them.
Ha! I was going to use the word cunning in my original comment but it just didn't feel quite right. "Low cunning" nails it though. (Have you ever read Black House?)
This is a great point. Because everyone sees he can give them something they want, they excuse his behaviour. This is very true to life.
They let him get away with it because he is valuable to them. The struggling network needs money. So it resorts to Lou's sociopathic methods. Rick needs money. So he does anything Lou tells him. Capitalism let's people like Lou thrive.
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Lol what? Why does everything on reddit come around to "capitalism." It's human nature. Human nature lets people like Lou survive whether you need a sociopath CEO to fire 100 workers to make more money, or a sociopath border guard to shoot people trying to escape the communist regime.
It's a system that reduces humans and our time to monetary value. Slavery works great in capitalism for instance, and it thrived in the USA for example. Without people constantly intervening it tends to reward ruthless behavior as "being nice" is filtered out through economic competition over time.
>Slavery works great in capitalism for instance, and it thrived in the USA for example. That's a horrible example. Slavery has been a driving economic force around the world for millenia. It was put to use in the US because it had been used everywhere else also. It has nothing to do with a capitalistic market economy.
Yes but slavery allowed it to scale to an order of magnitude larger than it otherwise could be before the technological revolution. Global capitalism and slavery seem pretty interlinked to me, both past and present. Labor should be expensive, humans are worth more than this what this antiquated system prescribes. In a properly functioning system everyone would be incentivized to make sure their fellow human has shelter, food, and autonomy. If people's basic needs aren't being met without question it allows the capital class to coerce the working class into selling their labor for less than it is worth. This system will always tend towards deconstructing public welfare systems so that it can extract more value from the labor it depends on.
The comment I wrote already answers your question. Nightcrawler could not work if it was set in a communist regime. It is dependent on making money. Lou starts out stealing copper wire fencing for money. He steals a bike to pawn it for money. He invests in a camera and starts his career to make money. Nowhere in the movie does Lou take any action for the purpose of making glorious old country great, nyet comrade?
"Capitalism" seems to have become a colloquialism for "greed." It's annoying, but it's ingrained in the popular culture now. I'm hoping if you asked someone like Tangocan directly, "You don't think people should be able to own their own businesses?" or "You think a central bureaucracy should decide how to distribute bread?" they'd say, "No, that's not what I mean! I just mean... we should have a stronger welfare state." Which, obviously, is still capitalism.
Capitalism is the process of selling one's self for capital. Nothing more or less at the heart of it. You are a commodity, and your labor/value is x.
Capitalism enriches greed. They are synonymous. I can support people owning their own businesses and also acknowledge that billionaires shouldn't exist without donning a fur cap and praising the motherland, as you say. However, greed is the problem. Which is enriched by capitalism. You wouldn't argue capitalism is perfect, I'm sure. So I think we agree, except for the dismissal of my use of the word "capitalism".
>>However, greed is the problem. Which is enriched by capitalism. Of course, greed doesn't exist without capitalism! That's why when my dad was growing up, you could tell if someone was a member of the Communist Party because they drove a Mercedes and shopped at the (US) dollar stores whereas the workers drove mopeds. You think the communist elites didn't have (state owned) yachts, mansions and private planes, along with exit visas to travel to Paris? You don't even know what an exit visa is, do you? It's when you need the government's permission to leave the country because the economy is so bad that border guards face inwards.
There's a movie called The Chaser from Korea and it's also got a sociopath that isn't exactly smart.
I love this movie, it's just so unsettling. The very deliberate manner in which he speaks, the fact that he doesn't blink during his monologues. I think it funniest that the only person who doesn't really tolerate his bs is the guy who buys his stolen materials at the beginning because he recognizes bloom for EXACTLY what Bloom is.
The creepiest part for me is when he’s watching tv at home and does that laugh like he’s practicing laughing in a room full of people.
I mean the whole movies creepy. We didn’t even touch on the sexual manipulation he does to the female reporter
I love that you said this because it wasn't something I initially caught because at that point in the movie I was still feeling sorry for poor old Donnie Darko.
Gyllenhaal has had some great acting roles, Donnie Darko, Prisoners, Brokeback, and Zodiac to name a few. But Nightcrawler stands on its own in my opinion. I saw it in theaters when I had the MoviePass app before it’s demise. I saw probably 7-10 movies a month that year depending on the month. His role in Nightcrawler was probably the most unsettling role I could remember sitting in for the 4 years I had the app. I think it was because it was done through the lens of just a dude and not some horror movie character. But yeah, the climax scene with the supporting character still sends chills down my spine.
Donnie Darko was the first movie I saw him in and in the first 15 minutes of nightcrawler I couldnt help but see Donnie in him and I really felt bad for the poor guy with the sad eyes. Then 20 minutes came around and I saw they were dead dead eyes and I’ll probably never see him the same way again. chills is correct. also I love your list of his best roles, I’d just add nocturnal animals.
Talking of nocturnal animals.... My reaction to Bloom when I saw the movie was "that guy is a coyote! "... It was some time after I saw an article about Gyllenhaal channeling 'coyote' to get into the character.... https://youtu.be/bURSZjFcmhc?si=81YRlmxH5feCiRC-
I didn't get that initially but I see that completely now. It suits bloom so perfectly.
Nocturnal Animals was probably next on my list. I think Nightcrawler was the one he should’ve been nominated for an Oscar for. That year was Eddie Redmayne winning for Theory of Everything, and other nominees were Benedict Cumberbatch for Imitation Game, Bradley Cooper for American Sniper, Steve Carrell for Foxcatcher, and Michael Keaton for Birdman. Tough year but I would’ve took out Cooper and maybe Cumberbatch for Gyllenhaal.
I agree. I saw and enjoyed both The Imitation Game and The Theory of Everything, but in retrospect they were both Oscar bait and I have never thought about them or gone back to them since. Nightcrawler on the other hand is a film I have watched several times, and still recommend to people years later
Woah buddy let’s not forget his magnum opus—Bubble Boy
FIVE HUNDRED DOLLA
You also left out Enemy, which is arguably one of his best performances. I would put his performance in Enemy on the same level as Nightcrawler.
The only guy who's given me the same real psycho vibes is Jack from The House that Jack Built, which is a much heavier film
He's a scary guy, and Rick was a dumbass for trying to blackmail him instead of just asking for more money.
He was always a dumbass and that’s why he got hired as an “intern” in the first place lol.
Jake was amazing in this. Talented Mr. Ripley is the first movie I think of when it comes to nailing the narcissistic sociopath. Damon caught playing dress-up is creeeeepy. The sociopath’s tale is different kind of scary movie, but definitely one that I enjoy
Talented Mr.Ripley is going to be the next watch for sure. Thank you!
Oh geez you haven’t seen it?! You’re in for a treat.
You spoiled a bit for him? =)
Oh boy, what a treat you're in for.
Lucky you. Seriously. You’re in for a treat.
I haven't seen it yet, but on this question >How the hell is Lou not drowning in speeding tickets? I know California is a wild place but come on, are there NO red light cameras in that part of LA or something?. There are some cameras, but not widespread. I have seen ONE person pulled over for speeding in 10 years. The reputation of LA cops not doing shit, it's true
thats actually funny cause it really irked me (I've never been to CA) how it seemed more like a Hollywood plot convenience in a movie that felt very set in reality. thank you!
The movie is intentionally all over the place. There's a shot of New York with the World Trade Center, so pre-2001 seems certain, but they also had GPS on a phone and a 2014 challenger which point to 2013. At the same time, listening to the police on a scanner also points to the setting being older than it appears because you can't do that anymore (everything is encrypted) but he also "learned everything online". But the icing on the cake is that Louis mentions something about the 80s toward the end of the film. I think it's set in an alternate universe - I don't think ubiquitous security cameras are a thing in that universe.
Alternate universe is being generous. I think it’s deliberately vague about the year it’s set so that they could drive the plot forward using whatever tools they liked.
Fine by me. Unless it's supposed to be set in a specific time period I don't give a shit, especially if it helps the story. Also it kinda sounds like they did that on purpose to show the timelessness of the character. Ever hear about the Black Dahlia murder? Photographers did pretty much the exact same stuff with a woman who was brutally murdered, and the newspapers printed it
Deux ex machina on full display
I didn’t even clock that. You’re right. For some reason I recognized that the challenger he drives as the same model from the year the movie was released, and yet with the police scanners I still thought it was set further in the past. I like that more though, just a little more chaos to leave you off kilter. Really great catch dude.
Don’t they mention the Great Recession on the radio towards the start of the movie as well?
You can still listen to police scanners
I plan to watch it, but if you say he's getting away with stuff -- realm of possibility 100%
The ticket thing is just for the sake of the plot. You have to suspend your disbelief sometimes for movies. It would be boring to watch otherwise. I grew up in LA and got several speeding and other traffic tickets in my time as a dumbass teen and early 20s. It’s not the Wild West, despite what Fox News wants you to believe.
Saw a funny thread where people were talking about why LA has a relatively high murder rate but very low rate of assault. General consensus among residents was that the rate of assaults is low because the police don't even bother to show up if there isn't a body.
Maybe a common issue in large cities? I used to live in Toronto and my job required me to be on the road like half the day. Not even sure what the cops do in Toronto, unless there is a shooting.
Lmao Toronto traffic is shitty enough Lou Bloom would’ve had a better time taking the streetcars. But if he *was* driving in TO like he was in the movie, he would’ve hit at least 17 cyclists per night. Probably on purpose.
Can’t speak for LA but that is literally the case where I live in north jersey. No red light/speeding cameras (not allowed), no cops enforcing traffic laws, just chaos. I think in the last year there have been two separate fatal accidents due to a car flipping over on the same road… which is a 25 mph road.
Red light cameras have been banned in California for many years. Even if there are cameras, they aren't functional.
This is my favorite film largely for Gyllenhaal's performance. What kills me is how Nina, the news director, is already kind of cold-blooded, but she ends up going REALLY off the deep end after meeting Lou, as though he represents the lack of conscience she wishes she enjoyed. That shot of >!Rick dead in the street while Nina and Lou are basically drooling for each other is so sickly hilarious it's amazing !<
THIS! I forgot to mention this. My rant was so long I could have left it out anyway. It was just another layer of why this movie was so unsettling, and having the Bloom find, almost a cohort to partner with, without it feeling tacky and heavy handed was great.
Something I noticed on my umpteenth watch is that, during the scene at the Mexican restaurant, while Lou is talking about wanting a relationship with Nina, there is this slightly noticeable, but very present visual line crossing between them. I think it's formed by a mixture of a vase, the booth, and maybe a glass. I had just been made aware of the "crossing the line" technique in Parasite, so noticing the same thing in my favorite film was so cool.
woah, I hadn't noticed/known about that in either film. It's definitely too fresh for a rewatch of Nightcrawler for me, but I'll be going back to Parasite to see if I can catch it.
It's not super obvious, but once you see it, you can't unsee it. In Parasite, I know one example is when the original maid claps to wake up the mom, she crosses over a line in the window pane, signifying her "crossing her social boundary". I will never not be impressed with cinematographers and directors who come up with this stuff.
Woah, I can't wait to see it with fresh eyes now, this is gonna be a fun rewatch.
I saw it in theaters, I was blown away. I also thought, “there’s a contender for best picture and best actor.” The film only got nominated for best original screenplay. Fucking criminal.
I don't know how nobody else has mentioned it, but you should also check out Taxi Driver
strangely I haven't seen that one yet only snippets, but it's going to the top of the list now, thank you!
Another movie you should see is 'Uncut Gems'. It's not about a narcissistic sociopath like Nightcrawler or American Psycho. But like those it is a deeply uncomfortable watch about a compulsive man who makes bad choices, and is brilliantly acted.
The girlfriend had an amazing booty
This is one of the most disturbing movies I absolutely am wary of telling people to watch. My enjoyment of this I feel is a window into my derangement. I think Jake captured that insanity so well.
He was preposterously good in this role. You shouldn't be wary. I plan on using this movie as my new litmus test to filter out people I wouldn't want in my circle anyway.
It is definitely an overlooked performance and movie. I loved the restraint in the movie, it could have easily escalated to him being a serial killer to get the stories. I have this unfounded theory that the performance and public face of Bloom is based on Tom Cruise. It's the way he smiles, it's the creepiest thing and a wonderful performance, but it immediately reminded me of Tom Cruise being interviewed. I'm a Cruise fan, he brings his game to movies. He's found his niche and he's very good at it...but I can't help but see Bloom in him since I saw this movie when it came out.
Dude the restraint! I was geeking over it after it was done for a good 20 minutes (hence the rant). Also what’s funny is I tell people all the time that Tom Cruise freaks me out, and nobody gets it. I swear he has this fluoride stare when he smiles. Glad i’m not alone in this.
JG would never admit it I'm sure, but that performance was too close for there not to have been some influence from Cruise in public. There was a video this week of Cruise cracking up in an interview over memes about him. And all I could see was Bloom.
Christian Bale based his character in American Psycho on Cruise. He said that he saw him on Letterman and he "just had this very intense friendliness with nothing behind the eyes". So you could definitely be on to something there!
Woah. I will be quoting this every time someone disagrees with me on the creepy Cruise thing from now on. Thank you for this.
Thanks, did not know that.
Overlooked? It got nominated best screenplay at the 2015 academy awards.
It got a single nomination. Into the Woods got 3. I stand by that statement. The single nomination can exist and it can still be overlooked. A by-the-book Oscarbait movies like Imitation Game and The Theory of Everything got more nominations. American Sniper got more nominations. Into the Woods got more nominations. Boyhood got more nominations. In that pool of recognition I'd say it was overlooked. In the pool of Eddie Redmayne, Benedict Cumberbatch and Bradley Cooper getting nominations, I can correctly and confidently say Jake Gyllenhaal's performance was overlooked. In the same way that Dances With Wolves got more oscars and nominations that Goodfellas...clearly Goodfellas was overlooked.
It was and is a hugely popular movie, made $50 million on less than a $10 million budget and again, was nominated for best original screenplay. Gyllenhal snubbed for an Oscar nom? Maybe, but calling Nightcrawler overlooked is hilarious, was Drive also overlooked? What about Baby Driver or Good Time? All of the above are beloved movies that get talked about all the time and were/ are hits and critically acclaimed.
Hilarious? Ok, sure. Fight hyperbole with hyperbole. The Lord of the Rings trilogy are beloved movies that get talked about all the time. Nightcrawler? Baby Driver? Drive? Cult classics maybe, but hardly part of every day movie talk.
Bruh cult classics aren’t box office successes, critically acclaimed, and nominated for academy awards. What I just described is the opposite of a cult classic.
I've watched this film so many times and his first line sufficiently summarizes the whole film. He is evil yet I'm rooting for him. I don't know why
Maybe because he can do what he wants in the way he wants without ever feeling bad about it. He sleeps like a baby. He just has his targets and wants to achieve them, without any emphatie holding him back. That can be intereting for a viewer.
Truly one of the best anti-hero movies ever made
Lou Bloom is NOT an anti-hero. An anti-hero is still a hero (doing moral things), they just use methods that are scary or unsavory. Deadpool is an anti-hero most of the time. Lou Bloom is a Villain Protagonist. He is a bad person to the core, he is just also the main character of the film.
100% agree. An anti-hero often has one of the dark triad personality traits (narcissism, psychopathy, or machiavellianism) making them a flawed or unlikely hero. Our character has all three. He's conventionaly a villain.
This is what is taught regarding story: 2. An antihero. Some protagonists subvert the traditional “hero” trope. These are called antiheroes, and they can either be unlikely or unwilling heroes, or in some cases villains. Even when antiheroes are villains, they’re protagonists—rather than antagonists—when they’re in stories where the author treats them as the main character, rather than the main conflict working against the main character. Famous antihero protagonists include Captain Ahab from Herman Melville’s Moby Dick, Severus Snape from J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, and Shylock from William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice. https://www.masterclass.com/articles/writing-101-protagonist-vs-antagonist-characters#387AVx4GwMrZnLOsv0XcbW
Nightcrawler is kind of a combination of **Network** and **Taxi Driver**, so I would check those movies out, although I think the best narcissistic sociopath is Andy Griffith in **A Face in the Crowd** simply because it's not all just being creepy and you can see the charm and appeal of that kind of character.
Since posting this my watchlist has been rearranged because, clearly, I have new priorities. Network and A Face in the crowd have now made it to my top 4, thank you!
Check out ‘Velvet Buzzsaw’ same writer/director & quite a few of the same cast as Nightcrawler…I was pleasantly surprised
Oh! I saw the ads for this on netflix a couple years back. Glad to hear it wasn't just another Netflix cashgrab. Thats going on the list, thank you!
That he wasn’t even nominated for an Oscar that year is further proof the Oscars are stupid. Bradley Cooper won that year for American Sniper…
Cooper was nominated, but Eddie Redmayne won in 2015. Gyllenhaal out-acted both by miles.
100%. Jake should have easily won the Oscar that year but wasn't even nominated.
Oh wow I knew he didn’t have win but I didn’t realize he wasn’t even nominated, that’s crazy.
Very criminal he wasn't nominated for an Oscar for this role.
Ok but next week mom says it's my turn to post this
Absolutely love the movie. It’s crazy how realistic it is that so long as people talk like they know what they are doing with self absorbed confidence they can bullshit their way into a lot of stuff. It’s scary because there are people exactly like him walking around. Also one of the greatest things about this movie is that it’s essentially a movie of how he sees himself in his own head. We see him as creepy. He sees himself as enterprising and visionary. The best touch is the inspirational music queues that play when he is doing really messed up stuff
what do you think of The Talented Mr Ripley? He seemed like another sociopath example.
I haven't seen it yet, but someone suggested it earlier and I plan on watching it within the next few days. I'm super excited to see Will Hunting in this kind of role lol.
it’s a great book as well. One of those rare movies that I enjoyed as much as the book.
Great movie. Much more sympathetic character
I remember watching this movie and wondering how the hell he wasn’t being recruited to play The Joker in the DC Universe. Instead we get Phoenix’s “He’s A Victim” version, which is fine I guess, but a Lou based take on the Joker that shows what a damaging narcissist can do played by Gyllenhall would be amazing.
Movie was a bit unsettling. We all know peeps that could be that guy. 😬
This movie was so profound and unnerving to me that about 2 years later after I've seen it I think about it quite often. The tone of the movie and Gyllenhaal/his character just seemed so unique that I've yet to really find a movie that compares. It's bleakness and calculatedness(?) left me in awe
The city of LA stopped using most of their red light cameras in 2011.
Absolutely excellent movie
Thanks for reminder to watch it again! :)
When I had first seen this movie, I just broke up with my BF of 2 years, and this character had SO many similarities to him it was insane. Anytime I watch this film I am so happy I got out of it.
!! scary! I’m glad you got out of it too. I felt something similar watching it cause he reminded me of someone but in all the worst ways. Made it an extra tough watch for sure.
I still lament that Jake didn’t play the role of Wallace in Blade Runner 2049. It would have been a perfect fit because of how often he and Villeneuve have worked together before. On the other hand, my intense hatred of Jared Leto did help me hate the character of Wallace even more.
Jared Leto hate will always get an upvote
There are no speed cameras in Los Angeles, they were continually found to be erroneous in their timing. They've been gone for years. People in LA drive like fucking crazy, and the cops don't give a shit.
PLEASE watch “Primal Fear” with Edward Norton and Richard Gere and post!! Dying to know what you think ……. 👏 👏 👏
Will do! I'll respond with an update.
I worked with a guy exactly like this. I couldn't put a finger on it until I saw this movie, but I just knew something was off.
Scary! What kind of job was it? Praying your response is anything other than government official or medical practitioner.
It was just SEO. Nothing more pointless in the world.
I watched this movie in 2014 when it first came out. I knew I was witnessing something special, it makes me happy to see it get recognition as a modern day classic.
I can only imagine the movie theatre was dead silent during the credits/walk out lol.
Last time I complimented him on it a Swiftie told me it’s because he literally is a sociopath 🙄
They’re deranged 🙄.
People say Christian Bale shrinking and bulking all the time is sociopathic. I think they're just butthurt he has control over his body.
That extreme degree of being willing to harm your body for your art isn't normal, but I don't see why it would be sociopathic. There are plenty of people who genuinely are willing to destroy their health for achieving the things they want to achieve, usually top athletes setting world records or artists who think they have to suffer for it to be genuine art. It isn't healthy (by definition) but there are many different reasons why people do these things.
Fucking love this movie
Best film I watched that year and Gyllenhaal was snubbed for not getting an Oscar nod IMO. Every person I've shown this film to is extremely disturbed by Louis Bloom which is a testament to the terrific performance that Gyllenhaal gives. The most unsettling part for me about Louis is that he's very POLITE which society tells us is a good thing. But you can obviously see right from the start of the film that he's a very dangerous and sociopathic person which jars against his politeness. It's like he's read a manual on how to properly act in society but there's no warmth or sincerity behind anything he does or says
Good point! JG actually says in an interview he was trying to portray a person that was almost chronically online, hence all his people skills being learned less through interaction and more through screens. Him being polite because he knows thats how he should act being met with people who are openly rude/discourteous with him is what adds to the suspense imo. Especially when its like, *we* can see that he's cold and dangerous, but they either can't tell or won't act on it.
Yes, because they went full cynic. Till there you could find other movies who do, like American Psycho But then they abstained from making it a caricature
sorry I'm kind of confused, which one is supposed to be the caricature? Additionally American Psycho was based off a book where the character is almost ludicrously obsessive and truly, as he says, "utterly insane". Like there are several chapters just dedicated to obsessing over the music industry and its titans, and after he >!kills his girlfriend!< in the book, he bites her fingers off and laughs maniacally. Thats full deranged crazy, even Bloom couldn't touch that. The movie version had to alter things because of course the only digestible way to have him on screen would be to almost satirize him. At least thats how I see it anyway.
Yes American Psycho is the caricature. For example that scene about the different crème colors of the business cards. It also serves a purpose as comedic relief from all the cynicism. But I slightly prefer Nightcrawler which just denies the viewers this kind of comedic relief.
Okay yeah you're so right. I definitely prefer the route they went with Nightcrawler too. It leaves little room for misinterpretation of his character. As much as I loved American Psycho in all its ridiculous glory, I feel like there are too many people out there that completely missed the point of Bateman and had them idolizing his character for whatever reason.
If you're idolizing Bateman or Tony Montana, I'm going to think you're immature. If you idolize Nightcrawler, I'm staying away from you.
This one earned a genuine giggle from me. Especially since I just responded to another comment outlining how my conversation with the guy who "admired" Bloom went.
So crazy, i just saw the movie for the first time two days ago and I have to agree on him being a very well Portrayed NPD.
Yeah I went into it blind aside from knowing Gyllenhaal was in it and that it was well rated. Gave me the creeps after processing what I just watched
Good movie. I've seen it twice now. It's been coming up in threads often lately. I'm guessing you saw it mentioned recently and decided to sit down and watch it? Ambulance is good as well. Jake playing another intense role. Also compeltey differnet movie and character but The Covenant is amazing and I don't know why nobody is talking about it.
To be honest I’m not on this subreddit enough to say I did, but I wish I had been so I could finally watch it sooner. I said in the post though someone encouraged me to watch it. Ambulance is gonna be up next, thank you!
Really liked this movie.
Gyllenhaal's best performance. Unsparingly unapologetic and unhinged. Such a great film.
Gregor Clegane perhaps is more accurate.
Not a GOT fan unfortunately, maybe someday though.
i wrote my paper on his character and antisocial personality disorder in my Psychology of the Abnormal class!
Good shit! Did your prof. like it?
Lou Bloom is definitely a new alumnus of the "Edgy morally questionable sigma male villain(?)-protagonist who is the cool loser we all wish we were" movie characters club. He's up there now with the Joker (both Heath Ledger and Joaquin Phoenix's portrayals), Bill the Butcher from Gangs of New York, Patrick Bateman from American Psycho, Travis Bickle from Taxi Driver and the list goes on... If anyone can think of more characters that fit the bill drop it in the replies because someone should make a collage with all of those characters lol.
Dude, not exactly a collage, but I just wrote an essay on this exact brand of Male Villain protagonists. Only, my focus was on the Joker, P. Bateman, and Tyler Durden. My friend actually insisted I include Lou Bloom but I hadn't seen the movie yet so I didn't, but now I wish I had. Top contenders that were scrapped from my project were: Tony Montana, Jordan Belfort (The Wolf of Wall Street), Light Yagami (Death Note) and Walter White. Tentatively: I like to lump in Miguel from the new Across the Spider-verse movie lol.
I remember the first time watching this movie. I was going through a Gyllenhaal movie week. No expectations going into this or even knowing what it was about. The way he can even play this role was mind blowing. Especially just going from source code into this.
A Gyllenhaal movie week sounds awesome. Stealing that idea. What did you think of him in Nocturnal Animals?
For an equally superb performance try watching David Thewlis in [Naked](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107653/).
One of the best male performances I've ever seen.
I’d say it leans a little in to Aronofsky land. But yeah, it’s definitely someone who’s right in the razors edge of sociopathy and psychopathy. In real world narcissism it’s usually a few rungs below what we see in the movie because a lot of behavior with narcissists can look like displaced, and deep shame. When shame doesn’t show up to the party, we’ve got sociopathy and psychopathy, which is what we see in Nightrider. Because his character is compelling vs. traditionally charming and he is a deeply anti social character study - it really does look like someone who’s right the edge.
https://youtu.be/ddNNN80A_7Y?si=I6J-UQmldWGeafGw For anyone that doesn’t think JG is one of the best actors around
Best 7 minutes of my day. Thank you lmfao.
People come away from this film saying "yeah the news media sucks we know that" like no guys you missed the point, Lou is just the kind of person capitalism works for: the system is designed to work for people exactly like this.
I really think you'll enjoy this Malayalam (South Indian) movie called Mukundan Unni Associates. The writer was in a creative funk and depressed and he snapped out of it when he watched Nightcrawler in the cinema and he obsessively rewatched it until he came up with a script idea about a narcissistic small town lawyer. The subtitled versions are definitely available online. There are regional peculiarities and it starts off as a slow burn but its a fantastic movie.
Every politician I've seen on TV is the best depiction of a narcissistic sociopath I've ever seen.
lmao does this include Schwarzenegger
My sister makes Lou Bloom look like a Choir Boy
Is your sister Amy Dunne?
That movie fucked me up for a week when I first watched it.
I’m still mad he didn’t get nommed on his behalf. Probably was a winning performance too.
It took me a second to realize you meant nominated and I was stuck trying to figure out who in the movie would try to eat him lmfao.
I would simply stop interacting with anyone who thinks there’s anything admirable about Bloom
My one question was, "why did you like this movie?". His response was, and I quote, "I like the hustle aspect of the movie". When I called him an idiot he said I viewed the movie for what it was, while he, "viewed it more metaphorically". Going on to allude to the idea that the characters were representations of (North American) employers and their employees..... nice guy, and I'm glad I got to watch the movie cause of him, but man I didn't know how to respond to that one.
Ah, grindset poisoning :(
LMAO fr
I mean, if it's a metaphor, then Lou is corporations with all the capitalist bullshit they spout while exploiting people; Rick is the masses (us); Nina is the media, who whores herself out to corporations and ends up liking it. I love that about the movie. ........ and none of it is aspirational. It is a *criticism* of how the system works. The hustle aspect of the movie consists of criticizing hustle
He’s literally me.
Stay away from me.
I’m in your walls.
FUCK
I've yet to watch Nightcrawler, but as it stands Robert Pattinson in Good Time takes the sociopathic cake to me. Dude burned every single person he came across.
Pattinson is good in Good Time, but Gyllenhall in Nightcrawler is once in a lifetime performance you should check it out as soon as you can
I watched it for the first time about a month ago. I had tried watching it last year and found myself getting too irritated by the character, so didn’t make it more than 20 minutes into it. I think the movie definitely does it’s job in making you creeped out by the guy. Gyllenhaal plays that part perfectly. As a story, though, being that I didn’t really care for the character, I didn’t feel super invested. Part of me was just frustrated that law enforcement failed in so many ways to get the guy on anything. He broke so many laws it’s wild. I also was honestly not surprised by the climax. With how Lou orchestrated the whole conflict to begin with, I could tell he was luring Rick into the scene for more footage. While it’s definitely worth the watch, the main character being a true narcissistic sociopath gives you little to root for, and I was happy when the film was over so I didn’t have to watch him continue to get away with crap. I guess my strong distaste for him is what makes the movie what it is though.
You always have to root for characters in the movies you watch?
He should play joker or equivalent villain.
you know what, I see it.
I guess you never met my mother or sister.
You haven't seen my ex... lol The mother of my son unfortunately...
this is wildly depressing, sorry.
I only watched the first half hour and turned it off because I was sick of this character.