Screenwriting : NIGHTCRAWLER Movie - Character Arc (SPOILERS!) by Maurice Vaughan

Bloom changes from where he is in the beginning (doing nothing, having a simple place to live) of the story to how he ends. He didn't start as a nightcrawler. But on his journey to make it (and be the first to get the story and footage) he becomes obsessive and will use people to get there. In storytelling, the protagonist, Bloom, takes immoral actions that will hurt others to get to the goal (be the top, best). The other characters, Russo and ?? (the driver) both want success too. They provide a variation on Bloom's goal, and Bloom figures out how to play, manipulate them (immoral action). Usually in the end sequence your protagonist will have a self revelation about how he/she's been wrong, and how his, her immoral actions have hurt others. If the protagonist learns and changes (stops hurting others) then it's a positive feeling, ending. If the protagonist is aware of the harm to others, and doesn't change, then it's a negative, down ending. Solid structure in Nightcrawler, and we, the audience, want Bloom to succeed, and may not feel the best in ourselves when he does.

I've read an interview of the screenwriter, Dan Gilroy, in which he said his main character in Nightcrawler has no arc. And he did get into how the character affected those around him. I hadn't heard of a "negative arc" before as a way to describe this. Not sure I like it as it seems to me it's the minor characters around the main character having negative arcs. Great flick, at any rate.

You're right, Lindbergh E Hollingsworth.

Louis, Rick, and Nina all become darker characters to get success, and it's all set up by Louis. And Louis makes the world worse, like when he sets up the two men to get into a shootout with police at the Chinese restaurant where those men and cops were shot/killed.

"If the protagonist learns and changes (stops hurting others) then it's a positive feeling, ending. If the protagonist is aware of the harm to others, and doesn't change, then it's a negative, down ending." The end of the movie shows that Louis is aware of the harm to others (other scenes do this too) and he doesn't change. The last line of the movie is incredible and an excellent example of subtext. Louis said to the interns "But remember, I will never ask you to do anything that I wouldn't do myself." We know from watching the movie and seeing Louis' descend into darkness that he'll do anything to be the top/best, so he's gonna expect the same thing from the interns, and they don't even know it.

I think Louis and the two other characters (Rick and Nina) have negative arcs because they all change for the worse, Eric Christopherson. Louis changes others/the world for the worse. Rick starts doing things (through Louis' manipulation) that lead to his death. Nina does things to get Louis' footage that she wouldn't normally do to get footage. Outstanding film! Dan Gilroy is one of my favorite writer-directors.

Thank you Maurice Vaughan and I need to read this script!

You're welcome, Mark Deuce. I need to read the script too.

Because of you Maurice, I want to watch it again! ;)

Cool, Lindbergh E Hollingsworth! Can't believe it took me that long to see the movie. Jake Gyllenhaal was phenomenal! I might rewatch the movie to see if there's anything I missed.

A rare feat for a screenwriter to make us care for a depraved scumbag like Louis Bloom. Incredible movie!

You're right, Lindbergh E Hollingsworth and Marcel Nault Jr.

"Solid structure in Nightcrawler, and we, the audience, want Bloom to succeed, and may not feel the best in ourselves when he does."

"A rare feat for a screenwriter to make us care for a depraved scumbag like Louis Bloom."

Definitely a script and movie to study.

Personally, I love movies about "a guy who sucks." The world needs more of them, and industry readers need to understand that the "heroes journey" isn't the only archetype of story. It's a real challenge to make a character relatable or interesting through their flaws, and it leaves a door open to talk about how those flaws are reinforced by society. Sure Star Wars and the Matrix are cool, but I'd take something like Nightcrawler, Beau Is Afraid, or Edmond over that any day of the week.

You're right, David Michael Kelly ("industry readers need to understand that the "heroes journey" isn't the only archetype of story"). I mainly write positive arcs, but I'm thinking about trying the flat arc. Maybe the negative arc too. A writer should use the arc that's best for the story.

Maurice Vaughan You nailed it down to a tee. A writer should use the arc specifically configured for the character. It doesn't matter if it's a positive or a negative one. The story plays itself out because of his or her actions.

"The story plays itself out because of his or her actions." Exactly, Marcel Nault Jr.

I started outlining a spec script the other day and ran into a problem with the main character's arc. I was trying to give him a positive arc. I might still be able to give him a positive arc, but I gotta figure it out. If I can't figure it out, I'm gonna try a flat arc or negative arc.

The “negative” arc is when a character is confronted with a chance to change for the better, then fails to do so. They may “win” in some ways, but they lose their soul.

I’d have to look at Nightcrawler again to see how this applies, but you can see how that works in Taxi Driver, The Social Network, There Will be Blood.

Thanks for the movie recs, Mike Boas. I've seen part of Taxi Driver and There Will Be Blood. I'll check out the movies with an eye on the arcs.

Fantastic topic, Maurice Vaughan. Not to go far afield, but I highly recommend reading this script not only for its economy of style, but to see some of Gilroy's formatting choices.

You get get the script here: https://cjpowersonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/250889715-nightcra...

I just downloaded the script, Richard "RB" Botto. Thanks!

It's a page turner Maurice Vaughan, but it's also an educational tool in many ways. Falls in line with - You have to learn the rules before you can break 'em.