I’ve always had this terrifying fear of the dark, which I’ve come to believe stems from the natural human condition of not wanting to lose control. In the daytime, one can see everything and everyone, nothing can surprise me one thinks. But then nighttime arrives, and the entire world it seems has been covered in a shroud of mystery. Anything is possible in this darkened landscape, all bets are off. Being scared of such circumstances feels natural, but leave it to Jake Gyllenhaals main character in Nightcrawler, Lou, to embrace the dark and all the terror that comes with it.

Gyllenhaal has been on a resurgence of sorts as of late, and having been a big fan of him in Source Code (and feeling his role in Prisoners was well-intention, but overall lacking), I was excited to see what he would do here. Gyllenhaal is astonishing here, playing a character whose terrifying in his quiet unpredictability. His calm rhythm in most scenarios is just unnerving, and anytime he goes out into the night with his camera, a sense of dread consumes the film in a most phenomenal manner.

What’s he doing with that camera you inquire? Well, Lou has found himself a little niche where he thrives, in filming late night accidents and crimes for a local TV station that employs one of the films most compelling characters Nina (Rene Russo). She’s the one who gives Lou money for his footage, and encourages him to continue his proceedings at night. Sometimes when the audience knows more than some of the characters in the feature, it can lead to the film being dull as we wait for the cast to catch up to us, the viewers. But it’s executed well here, as Nina’s slow realization of what the audience already knows (to put it lightly, Lou is bad news) is extremely terrifying to watch.

Actually, it’s not just in that realization that the movie manages to conjure up scares in an effective manner. It may not have jump scares or creaking houses, but Nightcrawler actually works fantastically as more realistic horror movie, as Dan Gilroy (who directs the movie) makes each and every scene with Lou out getting footage at night as gripping as possible. I’m truly impressed this is Gilroy’s first time behind the camera, as his capability to keep an effective pulse-pounding atmosphere for the film is terrific to witness. Just look at a scene where Lou and his assistant Rick (Riz Ahmed) set up camera shots at a restaurant containing two criminals. It’s mesmerizing stuff, no doubt helped by the editor of the film John Gilroy (Dan Gilroy’s younger brother, and Rene Russo’s brother in-law) and the cinematographer Robert Elswit.

Like Gone Girl (another thriller I enjoyed, though not as much as this one), this film has an ending I’m sure many will take issue with, but I loved it. It matches the tragic and weirdly realistic tone of the film that really sticks with you. Truth be told, the whole movies managed to stick with me, especially Gyllenhaal’s extraordinary performance. Nightcrawler is an incredible movie not only in some of its subtext, but also in the way it creates fear in successful ways both subtle and boisterous. I”’ tell you this much; I’m already just as scared of Lou as I am about the dark (well, not really, but it is close!)