MovieChat Forums > Nightcrawler (2014) Discussion > Most unlikeable main character

Most unlikeable main character

posted 10 years ago by charleyhydel
57 replies | jump to latest

Finally watched this on Netflix after missing it in the theater, and I enjoyed it a lot, but after it was over, I was struck at how much I disliked Bloom.

This movie while being satire had a very serious and grounded vibe. And most movies that have main characters that aren't supposed to be likeable have some kind of redeeming value, especially by the end.

I really disliked Bloom the whole time, but after he set his partner up at the end to get shot, I REALLY didn't like him.

Does anyone feel the same? Does anyone actually like Bloom? Can anyone think of a main character that is even more despicable than him?

[–] nginx 9 years ago

It's the very reasons you mentioned, made this film an extremely rare 10/10 for me.

One of the best movies I have seen in a long long time.

He who sacrifices freedom for security deserves neither ~ B. Franklin

[–] akshayug05 9 years ago

i thought he is the villain at the last..

[–] aer71367-313-155069 9 years ago

My husband and I just watched this last night and to answer your question, I disliked Bloom. In the beginning I really liked his gumption but as the movie progressed he becomes more and more vile.

[–] dargis49-300-900689 9 years ago

That's kind of what makes the movie so good. Not every main character has to likeable. I *beep* HATED Sam Jackson's character (he was an a**hole) in Django Unchained, but it also made is character pretty awesome.

[–] ehheSpeepe 9 years ago

obviously Bloom is not a sympathetic character but I definitely find him 'likable', he's funny, charming, smart, driven and above all psychologically fascinating

of course he's a horrible person, but are we 'supposed' to like Walter White? Dexter Morgan? Hannibal Lecter? Tony Soprano? That's up to you, they're bad people but good 'characters', as is Bloom.

[–] jhill804 9 years ago

Walter White? Dexter Morgan? Hannibal Lecter? Tony Soprano? That's up to you, they're bad people but good 'characters', as is Bloom.

Every single one of those characters has an arc. They all suffer in some way, with the arguable exception of Lecter who isn't a main character (but even he expresses love and misses the beauty of the world). They all face setbacks. They all have people whom they love and who love them.

Lou Bloom is a one-dimensional jerk at the beginning, he's a jerk in the middle, and by the end... still a jerk.

The character is as flat as a pancake.

Even "edgy" characters like Heath Ledger's Joker or Robert DeNiro's Travis Bickle or Alan Rickman's Hans Gruber or Michael Rooker's Henry or Christian Bale's Patrick Bateman or Malcolm McDowell's Alex DeLarge or, the guy in your avatar, Jack Nicholson's Jack Torrance, struggle in some way. They face obstacles and are challenged. They are all multi-layered and rich characters.

Nothing happens in Nightcrawler. There's no growth. There's no evolution. And I believe that the public's inability to see how uninspired/unimaginative Lou is as a character truly signifies the dying of story in modern film. It's a real shame.

Of course, none of this takes away from Jake Gyllenhaal's performance, which I believe to be exceptional. He truly gave it his all and did the best he could with what he had.

[–] Ratchapakinai 9 years ago

One of the main points of the film is that he is suposed to be unscupulous and unlikeable. I thought that was obvious.

[–] jajceboy 9 years ago

He's not meant to be likeable or sympathetic, that's the whole point with it. It's clear from the very beginning.Don't think anyone found d him likeable.

There are quite many movie with similar characters. Taxi Driver is the first one that comes to mind.

[–] Suskis 9 years ago

Lou has an arc during the movie, starting as a lowly fences and thief and ending as an enterpreneur with his own company. I think that he found a way to be successful, still remaining a sociopath. It's possible he could have ended becoming Anton Chigur.

"What has been affirmed without proof can also be denied without proof."(Euclid)

[–] dargis49-300-900689 9 years ago

Pretty sure that is what they were aiming for. *beep* great movie.

[–] leybell 8 years ago

My post is little off topic: I'm sure I'm not the first to suggest that Bloom is a partly symbolic. How much? Had he just spoken like a normal person most of the time, I would have called him pure character, but his relentless, perfect, unfaltering corp speak convinces me the creators fashioned him partly to represent the industry. a good example of both character and symbol in one the kind of dual role one sees in Tennessee Williams plays.