Not a horror film at all but this Jake Gyllenhaal-starrer is suitably creepy to sate your Haloween desires.

Gyllenhaal has seemingly gone proper method in preparation for his role in this neo-noir thriller as a slightly unhinged little fella, Louis Bloom, who, after witnessing a local news crew filming a road traffic accident, sets out filming crime around the City of Angels to sell to the media. Only his entrepreneurial instincts lead him on a rocky road of blurred morals and dubious journalistic integrity as his need to find a story that sate’s the viewers’ wishes as well as that of the media (“if it bleeds it leads!”) grows ever more. 

It’s a razor-sharp satire of news media and the market of drama-for-ratings that we live in and Gyllenhaal’s dedication to the role is clear from the outset. In his hands Bloom is a bug eyed, gaunt skeletal insect of a man – in more ways than just appearance – prowling the peripheries of Los Angeles’s nightlife, himself existing on the very fringes of the city.

His performance is already garnering hype he could be in line for recognition come awards season and it is clear to see why. Don’t miss.

Nightcrawler is released October 31 via Entertainment One.