re: Film in the last 25 years that just missed the mark of greatness

Nightcrawler. It traffics a bit too much as an expose in how local news works, which is about 20 years late to the party. The movie is far more fascinating in a study in how self-help business speak and philosophies are a breeding ground for sociopaths. Jake Gyllenhall's performance nails just how empty of a shell he is, and I love the relationship with his one employee.

It's inches from being an all-time classic. But alas, it focuses on the wrong part of the character.