Nightcrawler: Dan Gilroy’s film greatest asset is the central character, at the same time despicable and absolutely interesting. Jake Gyllenhaal is absolutely superb, oozing charm and peril and fully dominating the particular speech patterns (which define who and what the character is, therefore not gratuitous). The plot is hard both to watch and to turn away from; in that sense, the levity that permeates underscores the absurdity of it all and makes it more engaging. Robert Elswit’s camerawork captures the dark underbelly of Los Angeles beautifully.