Seen both, loved both, had both on my ballot.
Nightcrawler is one that stuck with me ever since I saw it back in the day, so it was nice to revisit it for the recent Neo-noir HoF. Here's
my full review and a bit of what I wrote back then:
It is Gyllenhaal's creepy and unsettling performance what ultimately defines this film. His Bloom is equal parts awkward, pathetic, unethical, savvy, and extremely clever. The way he navigates social circles reciting rehearsed monologues and factoids that he learned from the Internet shows a unique desire for acceptance; something that he gets through this job.
It's an extremely unsettling film, not for what it shows, but for what it implies about human nature, and I love it for that. I had it at #6.
As for
Body Heat, that was one that I've had on my watchlist for a very long time, so it was great to finally catch up with it for that same Neo-noir HoF. Very hot and sleazy, in more ways than one, here's
my full review and a bit of what I wrote back then:
This is one of those frequent mentions when the topic of 80s films come up that I hadn't seen, but what a pleasant watch it was. First, the atmosphere is so well transmitted that you can feel the humidity and the heat through the screen. But most of that falls also on Hurt and Turner's steamy and effective performances. Not only do they have an undeniable sexual chemistry, but they are pretty darn good in their roles.
It barely snuck into my list. Had it at #23.
SEEN: 55/80
MY BALLOT: 16/25