Directed by:
David AyerScreenplay:
David AyerCinematography:
Roman VasyanovComposer:
David SardyCast:
Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Peña, Natalie Martinez, Anna Kendrick, David Harbour, Frank Grillo, America Ferrera, Cle Sloan, Cody Horn, Shondrella Avery (more)VOD (3)
Plots(1)
From the writer of Training Day, END OF WATCH is a riveting action thriller that puts audiences at the center of the chase like never before. Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña star as young LA police officers who discover a secret that makes them the target of the country's most dangerous drug cartel. (Open Road Films)
Videos (10)
Reviews (13)
Sure, I could complain here about the camera and the sobriety with which this movie is made. However, I knew what I was getting into, and most importantly, there is still a high number of actors which I was really looking forward to. And so I started watching End of Watch, and lo and behold, it’s actually a beautiful and honest movie portraying the demanding work of police officers in Los Angeles, who fight drug cartels every day. It’s a kind of a peek into this world, plus it’s incredibly human, natural, and beautifully non-affected. I have to admit, I don’t do this every day, but I simply ignored the flaws of the camera in this movie. While at the beginning it wasn’t exactly a hit, the premise, the filmmaking craft and the actors made me praise it in the end. End of Watch may not be a film for everyone but giving it a chance is worth it. Maybe it can also surprise other people like me, who can’t stand shaky cameras.
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A sincere movie about police work. Ayer doesn’t make movies otherwise than excellently. A series of various raids, crowned by the final massacre, boyish squabbling and family. Don’t expect anything more from this story. On the other hand Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña make a perfect team. Form here has undergone extensive change. POV shots bring everything closer to reality (even though as such they aren’t very realistic) and wonderfully spice up these fajitas. The cool soundtrack helps too. Full marks from me. I am a consequence. I am the unpaid bill.
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A film so engrossed in its own form that it’s not important whether or not it has any content. The hypermedialised style without strictly maintained continuity between shots is partly excused by the fragmented nature of the plot; however, it’s a shame that its modernism is not appropriately reflected in the impression that the film makes, which is conversely very conservative (glorification of police work, suppression of signs of latent homosexuality in favour of the traditional family model). The actions of the central duo, who have transformed their service to their country into something between a video game and a reality show, are not subjected to criticism, which would be weakened anyway by the “empathetic” acceptance of their viewpoint and the expansion of the look into their lives with the addition of the private realm. Both of them obviously suffer from problems with self-control and employ methods that are as vicious as those of the goons that they take their anger out on. I won’t deny that a few shots are pretty damn cool (Gyllenhaal doing push-ups under neon lights) and Anna Kendrick smiles delightfully (the screenwriter didn’t give her anything else to do), but as it stands, End of Watch lacks depth, concept and any aesthetic quality. 70%
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As in the past many times, I will be a rebel in this case as well and I will give End of Watch an unflattering report card. The fashion of films shot with a shaky handheld camera in a pseudo-documentary style has never appealed to me and in many cases, it just feels plain wrong. I could count on the fingers of one hand when a similar style used in a film had a legitimate reason. While the camera on a policeman could still be clumsily justified, on the criminal's side it looks like a failed joke and it's simply absurd. The macho behavior of the policemen is not sympathetic to me, the glorification of their work is obvious, and the pathos is at times unbearable. Although the film mentions that many policemen never fire a shot outside of training, both protagonists are busier than a frontline soldier during an offensive. The result is remarkably reminiscent of a failed reality show on an American commercial station. Overall impression: 25%.
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At first what seems like a pure spectacle of reality, then a sinister psychological thriller in the guise of an action flick, and at last an overwhelmingly escalating drama of people doing hard work in an unbearable place. During the operations and the necessity to draw a weapon, you can truly feel every breath and drop of sweat, and thanks to Jake Gyllenhaal's sincere gaze, End of Watch will stay with me for a long time. The reason it didn't make the highest rating is precisely because of its main asset – realism. In its authentic filth, David Ayer's romp cut a little too close for me to simply see it as a "mere" spectator experience.
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