‘Nightcrawler’: Jake Gyllenhaal keeps up his gonzo streak

Jake Gyllenhaal’s character in “Nightcrawler” is no swashbuckling action hero, nor is he a swoon-inducing hunk. He’s a sallow, sunken-eyed scavenger, a nocturnal crime-scene paparazzo with an eerie sense of determination and a busted moral compass.

He is, in other words, a bit of an unlikely protagonist — not only for his off-putting qualities, but because just a few years ago Gyllenhaal seemed poised to make the leap from critical darling to full-blown popcorn movie star. Instead, the actor evolved into something different, and more interesting.

Having broken out with “Donnie Darko” and earned an Oscar nomination for “Brokeback Mountain,” Gyllenhaal in 2010 tried his hand at a big-budget summer tentpole in “Prince of Persia” and an adult-minded romantic comedy in “Love and Other Drugs.”

Neither worked: “Prince” tanked at the box office and was shredded by critics, while “Love” earned mixed reviews and barely broke even in the U.S. (Both films fared somewhat better overseas.)

Since then, however, Gyllenhaal hasn’t redoubled his efforts at mainstream success or retreated to shoestring indie projects. Rather, he’s strung together a series of edgy, committed and well-regarded performances in midbudget dramas that make use of genre trappings while exploring deeper human and character elements.

“Nightcrawler” is the most recent example, with Gyllenhaal and writer-director Dan Gilroy skewering the “if it bleeds, it leads” culture of local TV news and delivering a chilling neon-lighted thriller in the process. Gyllenhaal went all in to play the deranged hustler at the center of the film, shedding 30 pounds to give his character a coyote-like intensity.

The film earned a decent $10.4 million over a slow Halloween opening weekend, missing the No. 1 spot by a hair as second-week holdover “Ouija” took in $10.7 million.

Unlike “Ouija,” “Nightcrawler” also earned excellent reviews, with many critics hailing Gyllenhaal’s gonzo performance as one of his best.

In many ways, “Nightcrawler” typifies the post-2010 Gyllenhaal movie. Of late, he’s thrown himself into intense, off-kilter roles while working with genre auteurs like David Ayer and Denis Villeneuve.

In Ayer’s gritty police tale “End of Watch,” Gyllenhaal spent months on the beat with LAPD officers, immersing himself in their world, resulting in a lived-in performance. He brought a different mix of sympathy and swagger — and a nervous tic — to his Det. Loki in Villeneuve’s kidnapping drama “Prisoners.”

Gyllenhaal’s other recent outings include Duncan Jones’ brainy sci-fi flick “Source Code” and Villeneuve’s doppelganger thriller “Enemy,” in which he played a dual role.

The actor also looks to be following his playbook with his upcoming films, pairing with Antoine Fuqua for the boxing film “Southpaw” and Jean-Marc Vallee for the redemption drama “Demolition.”

Speaking to The Times at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival, Gyllenhaal discussed how he chooses his roles.

“You have to know what games you’re good at. You have to know what position you play,” Gyllenhaal said. “I love movies that are saying things that people might find odd at times. I don’t find them odd at all. They give me comfort.”

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