The first entry in this list is also the most recent. Nightcrawler is a fantastic movie, and a definite contender for the best film of 2014, but without Jake Gyllenhaal's masterful portrayal of Lou Bloom it would have been nowhere near the success it has been. In Dan Gilroy's directorial debut, Bloom is a loner and a thief who spends his days on his laptop and his nights stealing from construction sites and wandering the gritty Los Angeles streets. Having chanced upon a crew filming the aftermath of a car crash, he becomes a freelance cameraman, selling his footage to a local TV station. At this point, Bloom seems nothing more than a bit of an oddball, but it soon becomes clear that he will do anything to make money and build his business. He starts manipulating crime scenes in order to get the best shots possible - moving a dead body in front of his car lights in order to get clearer footage is a particular low point - and his unnerving, chilling behaviour towards the TV channel's director Nina, played superbly by Rene Russo, is when you really begin to realise what Bloom is made of. There are definite echoes of Norman Bates in Bloom, whether it be the gaunt look, measured way of talking or imposing eyes, and as each scene passes, you realise that the young, wannabe entrepreneur is a pretty detestable human being.
