Nightcrawler is a 2014 American thriller film directed and written by Dan Gilroy (in his directorial debut) and co-produced by and starring Jake Gyllenhaal, with Rene Russo, Riz Ahmed, and Bill Paxton in supporting roles. Gyllenhaal plays Louis "Lou" Bloom, a stringer who records violent events late at night in Los Angeles and sells the footage to a local television news station. A common theme in the film is the symbiotic relationship between unethical journalism and consumer demand.
Gilroy originally wanted to make a film about the life of American photographer Weegee but switched focus after discovering the unique narrative possibilities surrounding the stringer profession. He wrote Lou as an antihero, based on the ideas of unemployment and capitalism. Gyllenhaal played a pivotal role in the film's production, from choosing members of the crew to watching audition tapes. Filming took place over the course of four weeks and was a challenging process that included over 80 locations.
To promote Nightcrawler, Open Road Films utilized viral marketing strategies, including a fictional video résumé on Craigslist and fake social media profiles for Lou. Nightcrawler premiered at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival and grossed $50.3 million on a production budget of $8.5 million and gained a cult following[4] over the years. The film was met with widespread praise, with critics highlighting Gilroy's screenplay and Gyllenhaal and Russo's performances. Several critics listed Nightcrawler as one of the best films of 2014 and it received various accolades, including a Best Original Screenplay nomination at the 87th Academy Awards.
