End of Watch (2012)

So, we've got these two cops out in Los Angeles who stumble onto something absolutely massive, and suddenly they've got a huge target on their backs from some cartel. It’s pretty intense. The heavy hitters are Jake Gyllenhaal—who actually shaved his head completely for this role, can you believe that?—and Michael Peña. It's directed by David Ayer and produced by John Lesher. The budget sits at about $10 million, and it's hitting theaters on September 29, 2012.





Trailer:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mf2K9GzgiF0

Another found footage release, this time in the crime thriller genre 🤦

The movie is alright. However, this whole 'found footage' gimmick ended up being the wrong way to tackle the subject matter.

This really gives me Southland vibes.

Frank Moore4 said:Reminds me of Southland.

Yeah, it does. But the movie's good. I'd recommend it.

boldnomad45 said:Yeah, it definitely has those vibes, but the movie is solid. Definitely worth a watch.

Since when was Southland bad? 🙂 If you ask me, that show is easily some of the best television being produced right now. 😉

Man, this movie was seriously good. I honestly didn't see it coming, but I was blown away by how much I actually liked it.

I went into it thinking it would be some low-budget, shaky "handheld camera" kind of flick, but let me tell you—it’s easily one of the best movies I've seen all year, and I’ve been hitting the theater pretty hard lately watching everything from 2012.

Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña absolutely crushed it; the casting was just spot on. Their acting was top-tier, and the characters they play are so well-written that you can't help but get totally hooked on them, like you're just completely sold on the whole thing.
The directing, the plot, that gritty atmosphere... everything was just dialed in perfectly.

My rating: 7/10

cosmiclynx57 said:....
My rating: 7/10

Everything about it is top-tier—the direction, the narrative, the mood. It’s easily one of the best films of 2012, yet somehow we end up with a 7/10.😕

I will never be able to wrap my head around reviews like this.🤷

Great movie. Jake Gyllenhaal’s performance is a perfect ten, and they really nailed that sense of high-strung tension during the action sequences—all those raids and tactical maneuvers felt so real. To top it all off, the ending was absolutely phenomenal. All in All, a great movie!

Honestly, given all the hype, I was pretty disappointed when I finally sat down to watch it—just an unoriginal plot, way too many found footage clichés, and I was basically yawning halfway through...

The trailer is misleading, but the movie is solid regardless. Without the found footage element, it might have been even better, though you'd lose that specific sense of immersion. Definitely worth a watch.

I agree, this has been one of the better films lately.

It actually caught me off guard; my expectations weren't exactly through the roof, but the direction is quite solid—it manages to hit that sense of realism perfectly.

I'm definitely siding with all these positive reviews. I've always enjoyed gritty crime flicks, but this one stands out as one of the best I've seen. Even the handheld camera work didn't bother me—which is rare—but I actually think it was a brilliant choice because it ramps up the pacing and makes everything feel so much more visceral. Those first-person shooting sequences were incredible; I love a good action scene, so that was a huge plus for me. For some reason, it really reminded me of the police procedural elements in Third Watch...
It just made me think of another solid police drama that features a classic good cop, bad cop dynamic, which I felt was missing slightly from End of Watch... http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0421073/ This one was also directed by David Ayer.

Great movie. I was honestly expecting some mindless action flick, but it’s way more than that. It’s a legit police drama.

Great movie. Honestly, maybe the best film about American cops I've ever seen. 🙂

This movie is killer... highly recommend it to anyone actually looking for a decent film... especially with all the garbage coming out lately.

An outstanding film 👍
It’s a theme we've seen a thousand times before, yet somehow it still feels fresh.
The characters are incredibly well-developed, the lead duo delivers top-tier performances, and the script holds up.
My only gripe might be that the ending feels a bit rushed, I don't know
and the realism is its strongest suit, especially considering how things wrap up
It’s almost expected that those Mexican cartels will eventually settle their scores once they
push further north across the border

I’m jumping on the bandwagon here to join the praise.
Personally, I absolutely loved this movie—I sat there and soaked up every single second of it. 👍
Now, look, I’m not saying it’s some untouchable cinematic masterpiece, but it is certainly a solid piece of filmmaking.
The pairing of Peña and Jake Gyllenhaal is just brilliant; they work so well together. 😍
I was particularly struck by Brianov’s monologue right at the start of the film: "I am the police, and I'm here to arrest you. You've broken the law. I did not write the law. I may disagree with the law but I will enforce it. No matter how you plead, cajole, beg or attempt to stir my sympathy. Nothing you do will stop me from placing you in a steel cage with gray bars. If you run away I will chase you. If you fight me I will fight back. If you shoot at me I will shoot back. By law I am unable to walk away. I am a consequence. I am the unpaid bill. I am fate with a badge and a gun. Behind my badge is a heart like yours. I bleed, I think, I love, and yes I can be killed. And although I am but one man, I have thousands of brothers and sisters who are the same as me. They will lay down their lives for me and I them. We stand watch together. The thin-blue-line, protecting the prey from the predators, the good from the bad. We are the police."

Maybe that sounds a bit overly dramatic to some people—and I'm sure it felt that way to certain viewers—but for me? It was an incredible introduction to a really great film. 😉

A superb film.
The cast might actually be the highlight here.
Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña are so convincing that they pulled me into the story instantly.

I’ve never been a fan of found footage, but this didn't bother me at all.
The balance between humor and drama is executed perfectly.

David Ramos said:Honestly, what a fantastic film. It really hit all the right notes...
The acting might just be the best part...
Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña are just so incredibly convincing; they pulled me right into the movie from the very first scene...

They spent a few months roaming around Los Angeles with actual police patrols just to embed themselves in the narrative. They even stumbled right into a gang shootout once, witnessing wounded officers and all that chaos firsthand...
In any case, you could really see the effort they put into the screen work...

In my personal opinion, this stands as the absolute best cop movie released in the last few years...