End of Watch

Los Angeles Police Department officers Brian Taylor and Mike Zavala are close friends and partners in the LAPD's Newton Division, assigned to patrol a high crime area of South Central Los Angeles. Taylor, a United States Marine Corps veteran, records their activities for a college class after they return to duty from a recent officer-involved shooting.

At a public disturbance call, Tre, a Bloods gang member, yells racial insults at Zavala, who responds by accepting a one-on-one fistfight. Zavala wins and earns Tre's respect for not charging him with assault. Later that night, Tre and his fellow Bloods are attacked in a drive-by shooting by the Mexican-American Curbside Gang. The following night, the officers respond to a noise complaint at a house party, where Taylor and Zavala encounter Curbside Gang members "Big Evil" and "LaLa". Taylor and Zavala rescue children from a house fire while on patrol and are awarded the Medal of Valor.

During a traffic stop, they arrest a man who is in possession of several ornate firearms and large amounts of cash. Taylor urges Zavala to join him in investigating further, leading them to another man guarding a home full of human trafficking victims. When ICE agents intervene, the officers learn that the house is tied to the Sinaloa Cartel and are strongly urged to stay clear due to possible reprisals. Taylor soon becomes engaged to his girlfriend Janet, and Zavala's wife Gabby gives birth to their first child.

One night, Taylor and Zavala respond to a call from their rookie fellow officer, Sook. Arriving on scene, they find her partner Van Hauser has been stabbed through the eye and rescue Sook from being savagely beaten nearby; both survive but promptly retire. Taylor marries Janet, and at their wedding Zavala tells Taylor that, should anything happen to him, he will take care of Janet. The next day, the officers are called to perform a wellness check on an elderly woman, but in her house they discover large amounts of heroin, dismembered corpses, and a message from the cartel. Unbeknownst to them, the ICE has eavesdropped on a cartel phone call ordering the two officers "green-lit" for assassination; Big Evil, LaLa, and others are tasked with killing them.

While on patrol, the officers encounter Tre who, as a favor from their earlier encounter, warns them that some friends who were recently released from Folsom State Prison learned that both officers were green-lit, but Taylor and Zavala shrug it off. Taylor reveals to Zavala that Janet is pregnant. Taylor and Zavala are baited into chasing a reckless driver into an apartment complex where they are ambushed by the Curbside Gang. They kill several gangsters and fight their way into an alley, but Taylor is shot in the chest. As Zavala tries to treat Taylor's injuries, the assassins arrive and fire on the officers, apparently killing them. Shortly after, LAPD backup arrives in force and guns down the assassins when they refuse to surrender.

Zavala is killed, but Taylor survives, having been shielded by Zavala's body. At Zavala's funeral, Taylor tries to deliver a eulogy but only manages to say a single sentence: "He was my brother". In a flashback to the day of the shooting, Zavala recounts to Taylor a humorous story from the first time he and his wife slept together, before the two receive a call from dispatch.

• Jake Gyllenhaal as Officer Brian Taylor
• Michael Peña as Officer Miguel 'Mike Z' Zavala
• David Harbour as Officer Van Hauser
• Frank Grillo as Sergeant Daniels
• Jaime FitzSimons as Captain Reese
• America Ferrera as Officer Orozco
• Cody Horn as Officer Davis
• Kristy Wu as Officer Sook

• Natalie Martinez as Gabby Zavala
• Anna Kendrick as Janet Taylor

• Cle Shaheed Sloan as 'Tre'
• Shondrella Avery as 'Bonita'
• Maurice Compte as 'Big Evil'
• Richard Cabral as 'Demon'
• Diamonique as 'Wicked'
• Flakiss as 'La-La'

{{multiple image

| footer = Jake Gyllenhaal (left) and Michael Peña (right) undertook five months of intensive training to prepare for their roles in the film.

| image1 = Jake Gyllenhaal 2019 by Glenn Francis.jpg

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| image2 = Michael Peña TIFF 2015.jpg

| alt2 = Michael Peña

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David Ayer, who wrote and directed End of Watch, grew up in South Central Los Angeles and has had numerous friends in the LAPD.{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/end_of_watch/news/1926718/rt_interview_david_ayer_talks_end_of_watch/|title=RT Interview: David Ayer Talks End of Watch|date=January 24, 2013|publisher=Rotten Tomatoes|first=Matt|last=Atchity|access-date=May 16, 2014}}{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-xpm-2012-sep-19-la-et-mn-david-ayer-end-of-watch20120920-story.html|title=David Ayer writes his own rules for the cop genre in 'End of Watch'|work=Los Angeles Times|first=Oliver|last=Gettell|date=September 19, 2012|access-date=May 16, 2014}} He had written several films previously about police officers in Los Angeles, but while these depicted rogue and corrupt officers, he wanted to feature honest, ethical police work in End of Watch. In contrast to his previous works, Ayer wanted to focus on the friendship between Taylor and Zavala and "have all the cop stuff drop away and become secondary to the chemistry of these guys".{{cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2013/01/23/end-of-watch-blu-ray-interview-with-david-ayer|title=End of Watch Blu-ray Interview With David Ayer|first=Jim|last=Vejvoda|date=January 23, 2013|publisher=IGN|access-date=May 16, 2014}} Ayer wrote the screenplay over six days in December 2010.{{cite web|first=Steve|last=Weintraub|title=20 Things to Know About END OF WATCH From Our Exclusive Set Visit; Plus the First Two Official Images and Synopsis|url=https://collider.com/end-of-watch-images-synopsis/113115/|publisher=Collider|access-date=May 12, 2014|date=September 5, 2011|archive-date=March 24, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140324223738/http://collider.com/end-of-watch-images-synopsis/113115/|url-status=dead}} Jaime FitzSimons, a longtime friend of Ayer and a former police officer with the LAPD, served as the film's technical advisor, and his experiences from working in Los Angeles inspired several plot points of the film.{{cite magazine|url=https://entertainment.time.com/2012/09/21/end-of-watch-director-david-ayer-on-reinventing-the-cop-genre/|first=Nick|last=Carbone|date=September 21, 2012|title=End of Watch Director David Ayer on Reinventing the Cop Genre|magazine=Time|access-date=May 16, 2014}}{{cite press release|url=http://press.optimumreleasing.net/dyn/END%20OF%20WATCH%20Production%20Notes.pdf|title=End of Watch Production Notes|publisher=StudioCanal|access-date=May 16, 2014|year=2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130124064904/http://press.optimumreleasing.net/dyn/END%20OF%20WATCH%20Production%20Notes.pdf|archive-date=January 24, 2013|url-status=dead}}{{rp|6}}

Jake Gyllenhaal was the first to be cast in the film; after receiving the script, he read it in an hour and immediately contacted Ayer. Michael Peña was cast shortly after, following a string of auditions. He and Gyllenhaal did not bond immediately but gradually became close friends over the process of training and filming. Gyllenhaal and Peña undertook five months of intensive training under the guidance of FitzSimons to prepare for their roles—this included 12-hour ride-alongs with multiple Greater Los Angeles Area law enforcement agencies up to three times a week, as well as training in hand-to-hand combat, police tactics and weapons.{{cite web|last=Lee|first=Chris|title=Jake Gyllenhaal & Michael Peña on Their 'End of Watch' Bromance|url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/09/19/jake-gyllenhaal-michael-pe-a-on-their-end-of-watch-bromance.html|work=The Daily Beast|access-date=September 21, 2012|date=September 19, 2012}} On his first ride-along, Gyllenhaal witnessed a murder during a drug bust while incognito in the back of an LAPD patrol car.{{cite web|last=Shoard|first=Catherine|title=Jake Gyllenhaal: 'End of Watch changed my life'|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2012/nov/08/jake-gyllenhaal-end-of-watch|work=The Guardian|access-date=May 12, 2014|date=November 8, 2012}} Tactical training was also given to the other actors playing police officers, including David Harbour, America Ferrera, Cody Horn, and Frank Grillo.{{rp|14}}

End of Watch was filmed on location in South Central Los Angeles, primarily in the area of the LAPD's Newton Division, one of the most violent and gang-affiliated areas of the city.{{rp|16}} Filming took place over 22 days in August 2011, with a budget of $7.5 million. The film was shot in a combination of found footage style and traditional photography.{{cite web|url=https://collider.com/david-ayer-end-of-watch-ten-interview-2/|title=David Ayer Talks END OF WATCH Blu-ray, Directing Arnold Schwarzenegger in TEN, and Says He's Writing a WW2 Tank Movie|publisher=Collider|first=Christina|last=Radish|date=22 January 2013 |access-date=May 16, 2014}} Most scenes were captured by four cameras simultaneously:{{rp|6}} these included a handheld camera operated by Gyllenhaal, cameras clipped to Gyllenhaal and Peña's vests, and dashboard footage from their patrol car. Some scenes were shot entirely by Gyllenhaal. An alternate ending of the film was shot where both of the main characters died, but Ayer ultimately chose to retain the original ending.

File:End of Watch Comic-Con.jpg]]

The world premiere of End of Watch was held on September 8, 2012, at the Toronto International Film Festival.{{cite web|url=http://www.contactmusic.com/news/jake-gyllenhaal-talks-end-of-watch-at-toronto-premiere_1412065|publisher=Contactmusic.com|title=Jake Gyllenhaal Talks 'End Of Watch' At Toronto Premiere|date=September 10, 2012|access-date=May 18, 2014}} It was originally scheduled to be released theatrically on September 28, 2012,{{cite web |url=https://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=87672 |title=Release Date Set for End of Watch, Starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena |date=March 2, 2012 |publisher=ComingSoon.net |access-date=May 31, 2012 |archive-date=April 14, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120414163349/http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=87672 |url-status=dead }} but the release was later moved to September 21.{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2012/film/news/sam-worthington-in-talks-for-ayer-s-ten-1118056933/ |title=Sam Worthington in talks for Ayer's 'Ten'|date=July 23, 2012|work=Variety|access-date=July 27, 2012|first=Jeff|last=Sneider}}

End of Watch was released on DVD and Blu-ray on January 22, 2013, by Universal Studios Home Entertainment.

End of Watch grossed $41 million in North America and $16.6 million in other territories for a total gross of $57.6 million, against its budget of $7 million.

In its opening weekend in the United States, the film grossed $13.1 million, finishing first at the box office.{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=endofwatch.htm|title=End of Watch|publisher=Box Office Mojo|access-date=May 18, 2014}} It was especially popular among Hispanics, who made up 32% of the audience on the opening weekend, and a writer for The Hollywood Reporter attributed the film's popularity to strong word of mouth.{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/box-office-report-end-of-watch-wins-gyllenhaal-373381|title=Box Office Report: Underdog 'End of Watch' Comes From Behind to Win Weekend|first=Pamela |last=McClintock |date=September 24, 2012|work=The Hollywood Reporter|access-date=June 20, 2014}} The film was initially released in 2,730 theaters and expanded to 2,780 locations in its second week of release.{{cite web|url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/End-of-Watch#tab=box-office|title=End of Watch – Box Office|publisher=The Numbers|access-date=June 21, 2014}} On December 7, the film was given a nationwide re-release in 1,259 theaters shortly after it received two Independent Spirit Award nominations.{{Cite web|url=https://www.filmschoolrejects.com/news/end-of-watch-kerbl.php|title=Did You Miss 'End of Watch" In Theaters? Open Road Films Is Fixing That|date=November 30, 2012|first=Kate|last=Erbland|work=Film School Rejects|access-date=December 7, 2012|archive-date=March 6, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306092012/http://filmschoolrejects.com/news/end-of-watch-kerbl.php|url-status=dead}} On the first weekend of its re-release, it grossed $752,000.

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes the film has an 85% approval rating based on 183 reviews, with an average rating of 7.2/10. The website's consensus states: "End of Watch has the energy, devotion to characters, and charismatic performances to overcome the familiar pitfalls of its genre and handheld format."{{cite web |title= End of Watch (2012) |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/end_of_watch/ |publisher=Fandango Media|work=Rotten Tomatoes|access-date=April 1, 2024}} On Metacritic, the film has a score of 68 out of 100, based on reviews from 37 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.{{cite web |title=End of Watch Reviews |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/end-of-watch |publisher=CBS Interactive |work=Metacritic |access-date=September 11, 2021 }} Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale.{{cite web |date=September 23, 2012 |author=Ray Subers |title=Weekend Report: 'End of Watch' Narrowly Beats 'House,' 'Curve' |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/article/ed763167748/ |website=Box Office Mojo |quote=it's "A-" CinemaScore suggests it could push past this level). Exit polling indicated that the audience was 54 percent male and 63 percent over the age of 25, and the ethnic breakdown was 39 percent Caucasian and 32 percent Latino. }}

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film four out of four stars, calling it "one of the best police movies in recent years, a virtuoso fusion of performances and often startling action",{{cite web|title=End of Watch |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/end-of-watch-2012 |work=Chicago Sun-Times |last=Ebert| first=Roger |author-link=Roger Ebert |date=September 19, 2012|access-date=May 24, 2014}} and went on to name the film the fourth best of 2012.{{cite web |title=Ebert's Top Movies of 2012|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/rogers-journal/eberts-top-movies-of-2012|work=Chicago Sun-Times|last=Ebert|first= Roger|access-date=May 24, 2014|date=December 27, 2012}} Film critic James Berardinelli described End of Watch as "satisfying and emotionally potent ... a good, gritty drama of the sort that seems increasingly rare within the thriller genre", giving the film 3.5 out of 4 stars.{{cite web|url=http://www.reelviews.net/php_review_template.php?identifier=2523|date=September 20, 2012|title=End of Watch|first=James|last=Berardinelli|publisher=Reelviews.net| access-date=May 24, 2014}} Olly Richards, writing for Empire, gave the film four out of five stars and summarized it as "a collection of cop-movie clichés but presented with sufficient flair and strong performances that the ride is enough, even if it's on rails".{{cite web|url=https://www.empireonline.com/reviews/reviewcomplete.asp?FID=137802|work=Empire|title=End Of Watch|first=Olly|last=Richards|access-date=May 24, 2014|archive-date=September 24, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924135120/http://www.empireonline.com/reviews/reviewcomplete.asp?FID=137802|url-status=dead}} While New York{{'s}} Bilge Ebiri found the film largely unrealistic and Ayer's direction "serviceable at best", he wrote that "Ayer and his cast appear to have so convincingly nailed the way these characters talk and act that you might not even notice the film slipping from workaday grit into out-and-out myth."{{cite web|url=https://www.vulture.com/2012/09/movie-review-end-of-watch.html|title= Movie Review: In End of Watch, the Cops Are Actually the Good Guys for Once|date=September 22, 2012|first=Bilge|last=Ebiri|work=New York|access-date=May 24, 2014}}

Critics praised End of Watch for its avoidance of clichés often used in police films, particularly the buddy cop genre. Peter Debruge of Variety wrote that "Like a knife in the eye, End of Watch cuts past the cliches of standard police procedurals" and praised Ayer for depicting the LAPD as "an honorable and efficient organization of people working together".{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2012/film/reviews/end-of-watch-1117948247/ |title=Review: 'End of Watch'|first=Peter|last=Debruge|date=September 8, 2012|work=Variety|access-date=May 24, 2014}} Entertainment Weekly{{'s}} Lisa Schwarzbaum, who gave the film an A−, described it as "one of the best American cop movies I've seen in a long time [and] also one of the few I've seen that pay serious attention to what cop life feels like, both on and off duty".{{cite magazine |url=http://www.ew.com/article/2012/10/19/end-watch |date=October 19, 2012 |title=End of Watch (2012) |first=Lisa |last=Schwarzbaum |magazine=Entertainment Weekly | access-date=May 24, 2021 }} In a review for The Globe and Mail, however, Rick Groen opined that the focus on "saintly" police officers was less interesting than Ayer's "trademark grit and authenticity".{{cite web|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/film/film-reviews/end-of-watch-saintly-cops-make-for-a-sanctimonious-action-flick/article4556873/|title= End of Watch: Saintly cops make for a sanctimonious action flick |date=September 20, 2012|first=Rick|last=Groen|work=The Globe and Mail|access-date=May 24, 2014}}

The performances of Peña and Gyllenhaal were also praised by critics. Peter Debruge commended the realism that the two actors brought to their roles, saying, "Gyllenhaal and Peña so completely reinvent themselves in-character. Instead of wearing the roles like costumes or uniforms, they let the job seep into their skin." The Los Angeles Times{{'s}} Betsy Sharkey applauded the chemistry between the two lead actors, as well as their individual performances, writing, "As good as Gyllenhaal is in this, Peña nearly steals the show."{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-xpm-2012-sep-20-la-et-mn-end-of-watch-20120921-story.html|title=Movie review: Good cops on mean streets in 'End of Watch'|first=Betsy|last=Sharkey|work=Los Angeles Times|date=September 20, 2012|access-date=May 24, 2014}} In a review for USA Today, Claudia Puig commended Gyllenhaal for "giv[ing] his best performance since Brokeback Mountain" and Peña for "shin[ing] with charisma".{{cite web|url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/movies/story/2012/09/20/end-of-watch-a-riveting-unnerving-buddy-cop-experience/57815094/1|title='End of Watch': Riveting, unnerving buddy-cop story|date=September 21, 2012|first=Claudia|last=Puig|work=USA Today|access-date=May 24, 2014}} Roger Ebert highlighted End of Watch as "one of the performances of [Peña's] career" and praised the performances given by the supporting cast, including Natalie Martinez and Anna Kendrick.

An aspect of the film criticized in numerous reviews was its handheld camerawork and cinematography. Richard Corliss wrote for Time that the found footage style of cinematography "borders on the ludicrous" and that "the tactic fatally substitutes photo realism for fauxto realism".{{cite magazine|url=https://entertainment.time.com/2012/09/21/end-of-watch-city-of-angels-in-blue/|title=End of Watch: City of Angels in Blue|date=September 21, 2014|magazine=Time|first=Richard|last=Corliss|access-date=May 24, 2014}} Similarly, The Washington Post{{'s}} Michael O'Sullivan found the aesthetic gimmicky, overused, and "an unnecessary distraction from the story".{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/gog/movies/end-of-watch,1225838.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120904061139/http://www.washingtonpost.com/gog/movies/end-of-watch,1225838.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 4, 2012|title=A macho twist on buddy cops|date=September 21, 2014|first=Michael|last=O'Sullivan|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=May 24, 2014}} On the other hand, Amy Biancolli of the San Francisco Chronicle felt that although the cinematography was inconsistent, "it's used to deepen its main characters" and "lends the film a lively intimacy".{{cite web|url=http://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/End-of-Watch-review-tense-eye-catching-3881065.php|title='End of Watch' review: tense, eye catching|date=September 20, 2012|work=San Francisco Chronicle|first=Amy| last=Biancolli|access-date=May 24, 2014}}

Other reviewers criticized the casting of minorities as gang members. Manohla Dargis of The New York Times pointed out that "almost all of [the crimes are] committed by the black and mainly brown people",{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/21/movies/end-of-watch-with-jake-gyllenhaal-and-michael-pena.html?ref=movies|title=Cops Who Tote Guns and Video Cameras|date=September 20, 2012|first=Manohla|last=Dargis|work=The New York Times|access-date=May 24, 2014}} while The Globe and Mail{{'s}} Rick Groen criticized "the script's penchant for over demonizing the ghetto's black residents".

{{Anchor|Awards|Accolades}}

{{Reflist}}

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