So, NIGHTCRAWLER Looks Like The Purge: Journalism

The trailer for Jake Gyllenhaal's latest film, NIGHTCRAWLER, is a bit of a conundrum. On the one hand, the music is so foreboding that you're expecting something, anything, bad to happen to him (nothing does though). But on the other hand, Gyllenhaal's surprisingly gaunt body and sunken eyes make you almost want to weep for him. Which is, I suppose, what first-time director Dan Gilroy (who wrote Real Steel) was going for when he decided to tackle the story of a Lou Bloom, a driven young journalist who sinks into the world of covering dangerous Los Angeles night crimes.

Though the premise isn't particularly fresh, it's how the story is told--at least in the trailer--that will intrigue you. Gyllenhaal's bleak yet intense expression throughout the clip further outlines the journey the character takes as someone who will do anything for a story--including filming crimes as they occur, which fits in well with the voyeuristic society we live in today. In addition, Gilroy's jerky camera movements and the film's dark setting turn a familiar scene into an unsettling one. More in the synopsis:

NIGHTCRAWLER is a pulse-pounding thriller set in the nocturnal underbelly of contemporary Los Angeles. Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Lou Bloom, a driven young man desperate for work who discovers the high-speed world of L.A. crime journalism. Finding a group of freelance camera crews who film crashes, fires, murder and other mayhem, Lou muscles into the cut-throat, dangerous realm of nightcrawling -- where each police siren wail equals a possible windfall and victims are converted into dollars and cents. Aided by Rene Russo as Nina, a veteran of the blood-sport that is local TV news, Lou thrives. In the breakneck, ceaseless search for footage, he becomes the star of his own story.

The last time I saw Gyllenhaal as a relentless reporter he was trying to solve the case of the zodiac killer in 2007's Zodiac, so it will be interesting to see how he approached this role (and Rene Russo!). Plus, Riz Ahmed (The Reluctant Fundamentalist) is in the movie, which is an automatic win for me.

Check out the trailer:

NIGHTCRAWLER hits theaters October 17th.