Just got back from a free screening.
Jake Gyllenhaal delivers a fantastic and chillingly creepy performance that while fully committed doesn't veer off into obnoxious scenery chewing. Moments that could be bombastic are instead effective due to their timing and contrast with the rest of the performance.
Besides just being the Jake G. Show, this movie is also a biting glimpse at a version of news production. Its insights in that regard aren't necessarily ground breaking (The "If it bleeds it leads" mentality has been commented upon before) but it all still works as it is in service to a great character story. The goal of the film isn't to skewer the already infamously blood thirsty TV news circuit but rather show how it serves as the perfect outlet for someone who himself is ratings driven, but completely without empathy.
The best praise I can give this film is that it is going to make a fascinating double feature with Drive. There are stylistic similarities and they are both set in the streets of LA. The main reason though why I am excited to watch the two films together is that while Drive can be read as an origin story for a bizarre almost Superhero, Night Crawler plays like the back story of a super villain.
9/10.