Redbox Review: "End of Watch"

End of Watch

Director: David Ayer
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Pena, Anna Kendrick, and Frank Grillo.
Rated R for strong violence, some disturbing images, pervasive language including sexual references, and some drug use.

This week, End of Watch arrived at Redbox. This was one I had meant to see while in theaters, but just never got around to it. This is a hard hitting, in-your-face look at what two cops go through every day in one of the most dangerous cities in America. Let me start out by saying this movie is not for everybody. It contains extreme language that is constant throughout the movie and some disturbing violent content. If those are things that you can deal with then End of Watch may be worth your time.


The plot mainly involves Brian Taylor (Gyllenhaal) and Mike Zavala (Michael Pena) as they hit the mean streets of L.A. day after day. There is a drug cartel that they start messing with and the consequences become extreme. Despite the horrific things these two officers see and hear everyday, they are somehow able to maintain stable personal lives, and their morals are never questioned.

The film is written and directed by David Ayer, the writer of the critically acclaimed Training Day. There's no doubt that Ayer has a knack for writing crime dramas. With this film, he decided to give it a documentary feel by having many of the characters filming their daily activities. This works both for and against the movie. The positive? You get some realistic photography that puts the audience front and center for the action. The negative? There are some consistency problems with Ayer switching from characters shooting the action themselves to a third-person/omniscient camera that most movies use. There are even bad guys filming the highly illegal activities they are involved in. Such stupidity should only be reserved for some "World's Dumbest Criminals" show.

Aside from that, End of Watch is an effective drama that makes you thankful for the sacrifices that noble police officers make every day of their lives. There is not much glory in it for them. In dangerous cities and neighborhoods, police officers are often the hunted, not the hunters. Such is the case for officers Brian Taylor and Mike Zavala.

RATING:  B