Could have been called “Roachman,” because that’s basically what this movie is about—talented actor Jake Gyllenhaal plays an ambitious entrepreneur-wannabe who scavenges car wrecks and murdered bodies with a video camera in order to sell the videos to the local news station. Yep, this movie gets it right, not only about the local news, but about us. After all, who watches the local news and all the violent and exaggerated reportings if not us? As if to prove that fact, we accompany Roachman (my name) on his nefarious journeys and, if we’re honest with ourselves, we’re actually rooting for him to break the law and ethics, take that extra step and record those bloody dead bodies. Are we being manipulated by the movie (and the media)? Perhaps, and that is part of the point of this unsettling film, which demonstrates a little of the workings of your local news station and your own dark nature. But don’t worry—there’s a wry sense of humor and a bit of objective distance that keeps it from getting too dark; it artfully handles the unpleasant without becoming offensive.

Not For Kids