Netflix has recently welcomed a strikingly powerful contemporary thriller that’s regarded as amongst the finest cinema of this century.

Featuring a Hollywood heavyweight delivering one of his most demanding performances, film enthusiasts have found themselves gripped by this exceptionally dark modern crime drama.

Leading man Jake Gyllenhaal takes on the role of Lou Bloom, a deeply disturbed freelance videographer in the critically lauded Nightcrawler, which first premiered a decade ago in 2014.

When the unstable drifter Lou witnesses a horrific road accident in Los Angeles, he encounters a world of stringers (freelance photojournalists) who flog recordings of local emergencies to television networks.

As Lou’s enterprise flourishes, both Rick and Nina quickly uncover the disturbing extremes he’ll pursue to secure an exclusive story.

Garnering outstanding critical acclaim at launch and maintaining an impressive 95 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Nightcrawler remains a chilling and pertinent examination of today’s sensationalised media landscape and those operating within it.

“I’m late to the party but y’all seriously expect me to believe that jake didn’t win an oscar for his performance in this masterpiece???” questioned one admirer on Letterboxd in their five-star assessment. Another viewer proclaimed: “Nightcrawler is truly a great film! It felt like everything just clicked when they made it, from the acting to the screenplay and all the techs. The story is probably even more relevant now then it was 11 years ago when it was released.

“I mean it feels more and more like the media is more interested in clicks and selling a narrative than actually making news. Jake Gyllenhaal is given one of the best performances of the century in the modern masterpiece! I can’t recommend it enough!!”

A third critique concurred: “From Jake’s bold decisions and character choices to a noticeably unique score, this film left me speechless the entire time. Lou’s personality made me feel constantly tense and uncomfortable, and I couldn’t decide whether I wanted him to win in the end.”

“Nightcrawler is a must watch for fans of cinema,” a fourth supporter penned. “It’s a work of art from a directorial and writing standpoint, acting and from a basic human nature.

“It really does a hell of a job at keeping your eyes on this dark gloomy world to the point where you don’t want to look away. It’s intense, thrilling, powerful and sensational.”

And a final admirer commented: “Jake Gyllenhaal not even getting nominated for an Oscar for this performance is the biggest robbery in academy history. One of the best performances of all time and should’ve won.”

Nightcrawler is available to stream on Netflix.