Jake Gyllenhaal is electrifying as Lou Bloom, a restless young man in Los Angeles who becomes a freelance news cameraman after stumbling across a car accident on a freeway one night.

The character of Lou Bloom is the best creepy character to appear in a movie since Kevin Spacey’s Verbal Kint/Keyser Söze in The Usual Suspects back in 1995.

Lou is a mix between desparate and keen. The audience sees what he is truly capable of, but the other characters take him at face value as he offers solutions to their own sorry problems.

For his “employee” Rick – Riz Ahmed, Lou offers an income to get him off the street, and a way to climb the ladder towards prosperity.

For Lou’s client Nina Romina – Rene Russo, Lou provides much needed grisly footage to lead her early morning news broadcasts.

Some people will see this as an observation about TV news, for me, after two viewings, it;s more about the American Dream and how commerce triumphs reason and morality.

When Lou becomes complicit in a breaking news story, Nina must choose whether her viewers or her scruples come first.

Ultimately it’s a film about what people are prepared to get away with to survive and to succeed.

Lou is ruthless, determined, and despite his outward appearance, he’s very bright – he gets how the world works.

It’s written and directed by Dan Gilroy who is Rene Russo’s husband, his directorial debut, but he’s written before including The Bourne Legacy and Real Steel.

Utterly gripping and highly entertaining.

4 Stars.