路易斯（杰克·吉伦哈尔 Jake Gyllenhaal 饰）是个无所事事的小混混，整日干的尽是一些偷鸡摸狗的勾当。一次偶然中，他目睹了摄影记者工作的场面，从中觅得商机的他决定自己干上一票。 　　路易斯购置了摄像装备，通过窃听警方无线电的方式抢先一步到达犯罪现场进行拍摄，再将摄像资料卖给晨间新闻制片人妮娜（蕾妮·罗素 Rene Russo 饰）换取酬劳。在尝到了几次甜头之后，路易斯招募了里克（里兹·阿迈德 Riz Ahmed 饰）作为搭档，准备“扩张”自己的事业。渐渐的，普通的车祸或火灾现场已经无法满足路易斯和妮娜的胃口，他们需要的是更血腥、更劲爆、更吸引眼球的新闻场面，为了得到珍贵的一手资料，路易斯甚至不惜“亲自动手”。NIGHTCRAWLER is a thriller set in the nocturnal underbelly of contemporary Los Angeles. Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Lou Bloom, a driven young man desperate for work who discovers the high-speed world of L.A. crime journalism. Finding a group of freelance camera crews who film crashes, fires, murder and other mayhem, Lou muscles into the cut-throat, dangerous realm of nightcrawling - where each police siren wail equals a possible windfall and victims are converted into dollars and cents. Aided by Rene Russo as Nina, a veteran of the blood-sport that is local TV news, Lou blurs the line between observer and participant to become the star of his own story.