Man, I am out-of-control jazzed for Dan Gilroy's “Nightcrawler.” In the space of a week, it's gone from a minor curiosity (I've been intrigued by the premise all along) to one of my most anticipated films of the fall. And on the heels of that clever viral video that went out last weekend, the trailer for the Toronto-bound Jake Gyllenhaal film has brought me right up to the brink: I want to see this NOW.
Gyllenhaal stars in the thriller as Louis Bloom, a driven young man who stumbles upon the underground world of freelance crime journalism in Los Angeles. Off the bat, it obviously looks like a fantastic showcase for Gyllenhaal, who has poured a ton of commitment into the role by dropping a bunch of weight and diving into it with intensity. But it also looks like it could be a great “L.A. film,” using the City of Angels as an intriguing cesspool backdrop. I'm reminded of Scorsese's New York works, from “Taxi Driver” to “Bringing Out the Dead.”
Hopefully I'm not overhyping it for myself but I really, really like what I see so far. Again, the film will premiere at Toronto (fingers crossed it pops up at Telluride first but it's probably not that kind of film). It's set for release on Oct. 17.
Check out the new trailer below and tell us what you think.