End of Watch

End of Watch (2012)

Tagline: Every moment of your life they stand watch

Overview: Two young officers are marked for death after confiscating a small cache of money and firearms from the members of a notorious cartel during a routine traffic stop.

Release Date: 2012-09-20

Runtime: 109

Genres: Crime, Drama, Thriller

Language: EN

Company: 5150 Action, Exclusive Media, Hedge Fund Film Partners, Crave Films, Knightsbridge Entertainment, Le Grisbi Productions, Emmett/Furla Films

Status: Released

About End of Watch

Writer: David Ayer

Director: David Ayer

Producer: David Ayer, Matt Jackson, John Lesher

Vote Average: 7.346

Vote Count: 3556

Country: United States of America

Trailer

Cast

ActorCharacter
Jake GyllenhaalBrian Taylor
Michael PeñaMike Zavala
Natalie MartinezGabby Zavala
Anna KendrickJanet Taylor
David HarbourVan Hauser
Frank GrilloSarge
America FerreraOfficer Orozco
Cody H. CarolinOfficer Davis
Shondrella AveryBonita
Hugh DalyHomicide Detective 2
Gene HongOfficer Cho
Cle SloanMr. Tre
Jaime FitzSimonsCaptain Reese
Everton LawrenceMan Friend
ZoneToo Tall
Alvin NormanPeanut
Richard CabralDemon
DiamoniqueWicked
Maurice CompteBig Evil
FlakissLa La
Manny Jimenez Jr.Casper
Nikki Nicholle BarrerasCindy
Kristy WuSook
Candace SmithSharice
Corina CalderonJazmine
David Fernandez Jr.Spooky
McKinley FreemanWilliams
Kevin VanceIce Agent
David CastañedaMexican Cowboy
John A. RussoLAPD Honor Guard
Michael MonksHomicide Detective 1
Serene BransonSelf
Ramon CamachoTall Cowboy
Eric GarcettiSelf
Nelly CastilloYoung Mother
Judy EchavezElmeida
Ruben Roberto GomezDrunken Party Guest
Robert GatewoodIllegal Imigrant
Diana NorisMaria
Ron RoggéPastor Simons
Tony Sagastizado INeighbor (uncredited)

Screenshots

Ratings

7.346/10 based on 3556 votes.

Review

Officers Taylor (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Zavala (Michael Peña) are LA beat cops, partnered up a long time. We watch them in action via a number of set pieces, and see that they're cynical enough to interpret the rules as necessary but still by a long, long stretch good and decent cops that will risk their lives in carrying out their duties at a moment's notice. Zavala is already blissfully happily married with a baby on the way, Taylor has just met a sweet Irish gal and over the course of the film we see their relationship blossom and grow. These two men are like the closest of brothers. It's all good to see. One day, their dedication to the job causes them to stumble in over their pay grade into a much larger drug cartel and human trafficking operation than regular beat cops would usually encounter. Homeland Security agents appear, having apparently already been monitoring the situation, and warn our boys that they've bloodied the wrong noses, and they'd better lay low. I HATE a dumb actioner, and this ain't that. Well, it DOES contain all of the standard tropes and cliches (buddy cops, stumbling in over their heads into some drug cartel hoo-haa; the bad guys all being relentlessly bad 24/7, permanently scowling, growling and barking at one another, etc.), but done ever-so-well; reminiscent to me of how [REC] didn't contain anything new or fresh whatsoever, but did all of what it did very well indeed and it came across as fresh as a result. It's shot mostly cinéma vérité-style, utilising a plotline in which officer Taylor is shooting a documentary piece for a student course he's taking. However, it switches between between first and third-person narrative a la Modern Family, but when it switches to third-person it retains a very documentary-like feel, so it all feels quite seamless. It wilts a little just past the halfway mark but picks up enormously for the final third. Also, when it's violent (which isn't often), it's unexpectedly VERY violent. I'd give it an 8/10 and recommend that it's worth at least a look. And I'm not a fan of L.A. guns/bloods/crips/gangs/urban/drugs/cops films.

FAQs

Q: Who directed End of Watch?
A: David Ayer.

Q: What genre is End of Watch?
A: Crime, Drama, Thriller.

Q: When was End of Watch released?
A: 2012-09-20.

Q: Who wrote End of Watch?
A: David Ayer.