Netflix users will have to look for other ways to see Nightcrawler, one of the best movies starring Jake Gyllenhaal. Monday, Aug. 9 was the last day the critically acclaimed 2014 neo-noir was available on the streaming platform. Although the movie is now seven years old, it remains a frighteningly relevant story about a desperate photojournalist who searches for the most shocking stories, no matter the cost.
Although Nightcrawler is no longer on Netflix, Gyllenhaal fans can still see a handful of films featuring the Oscar-nominated star. Velvet Buzzsaw (2019), Okja (2017), Nocturnal Animals (2016), and Wildlife (2018) are still available. Gyllenhaal’s next film, The Guilty, will be released on Netflix later this year.
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Gyllenhaal stars as Louis “Lou” Bloom, who starts off the film as a petty thief in Los Angeles. After Bloom struggles to find a job, he spots freelance photojournalists swarming around a car crash, he becomes inspired to get a camcorder and police radio scanner. After learning that the most salacious footage he can capture sells, Bloom begins tampering with scenes to get what he wants. Riz Ahmed scored a breakthrough acting role as the hustler Bloom hires as an assistant. Rene Russo played news director Nina Romina, while the late Bill Paxton starred as another journalist.
Although the movie earned critical acclaim, especially for Gyllenhaal’s unhinged performance, the movie only scored one Oscar nomination. Writer/director Dan Gilroy earned a nod for Best Original Screenplay at the 2015 Academy Awards but lost to Best Picture winner Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance). Since Nightcrawler, Gilroy worked on Kong: Skull Island and directed Denzel Washington in Roman J. Israel, Esq. (2017). He reunited with Gyllenhaal on Velvet Buzzsaw, which was released on Netflix in 2019. Gilroy is the brother of filmmaker Tony Gilroy, who served as a producer on Nightcrawler.
In an interview around the time of Nightcrawler‘s release, Gyllenhaal explained the allure of the dangerous footage Bloom films in the movie. “I really feel like there’s something very primal about the slowing down at an accident scene. And it’s in those feelings that some people find great success in the work and Lou happens to be one of those people,” Gyllenhaal told NPR, adding that Russo’s character enabled him, and she was enabled by her bosses who want to please their enablers, the audience.
“Because you can blame anybody, but I think, really, there is no blame; we’re all complicit,” Gyllenhaal continued. “And a lot of people leave the movie saying, ‘Wow, what a ride.’ And there are a whole slew, a whole spectrum of response to it — all of which, kind of leading back to oneself and how complicit the individual is in creating someone like Lou.”
Gyllenhaal recently starred as the villain Mysterio in Spider-Man: Far From Home. He has several projects in the works, including Antoine Fuqua’s next movie, The Guilty. The movie is a remake of the 2018 Danish film of the same name and will be screened at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival before it is released on Netflix later this year. Gyllenhaal will also star in Michael Bay’s Ambulance, alongside Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Eiza Gonzalez.
