End of Watch

R

Released Sep 21, 2012

1h 49m

Crime

Drama

Action

List

85%

Tomatometer

183 Reviews

86%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

Longtime LAPD partners and friends, Brian Taylor (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Mike Zavala (Michael Peña) patrol one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in Los Angeles. Though they may bend the rules, their honor and dedication to the job are unquestioned. Taylor and Zavala always have each other's back, even if Taylor's surreptitious filming of their daily activities for a college course is a bit ill-advised. All hell breaks loose for the officers when they run afoul of a vicious Mexican cartel.

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Critics Consensus

End of Watch has the energy, devotion to characters, and charismatic performances to overcome the familiar pitfalls of its genre and handheld format.

Read Critics Reviews

Wendy Ide

Times (UK)

This abrasive and brilliant Los Angeles cop drama contains two exceptional male-lead performances.

Feb 27, 2023

Full Review

Francesca Steele

Independent (UK)

This is the thinking man's action movie, a cop flick that takes us off the beaten track. Above all, though, it is a bromance.

Aug 11, 2017

Full Review

Bilge Ebiri

New York Magazine/Vulture

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.

Jan 8, 2013

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Though Ayer’s screenplay resorts to some of the clichés we associate with the genre, the performances are so strong that we hardly care.

Rated: 3/4

Sep 25, 2022

Full Review

Charlotte Harrison

Charlotte Sometimes Goes to the Movies

There are countless buddy-cop action movies, but this one really is a bit different.

Apr 8, 2021

Full Review

Jason Best

Movie Talk

With throat-grabbing immediacy, giddily frenetic cop thriller End of Watch thrusts you into the front seat of an LA patrol car.

Rated: 3/5

Dec 17, 2020

Full Review

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Audience Member

Over halfway through the movie, I was still wondering what the movie was about, after that point on the movie was sorta understandable but still confusing as to what was happening.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

09/06/24

Full Review

Sasha S

THE BEST cop movie ever and probably one of the most realistic. The end always has me borderline crying

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/05/24

Full Review

Leo C

Pretty straight forward movie with clear relationships and stakes at risk 24/7. Jake G. is a best of a main character.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

08/28/24

Full Review

Audience Member

I don't usually do reviews of movies, but from my perspective I felt I needed to do a review of End of Watch. It has a very human touch, not much like the big movies of our times, it makes you feel, and sympathise with the characters. It is a slow boil at the start, but it is really quite good! I definitively recommend viewing it. Music was also good.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/14/24

Full Review

Richard L

A fairly standard cop movie which 'found footage' angle falls apart within a minute of being introduced, End of Watch does have plenty of heart thanks to its human characters, and a couple of edge-of-your-seat scenes where the questionable cinematographic choices finally pay off. Not exactly a classic, but worth watching at least once if not for the performances alone.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

07/07/24

Full Review

Michael R

I would've liked it a lot better without the whole actor filming it subplot. It takes a while to pick up speed but when it does, you'll be glad you stuck with it. Ayers fan.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

07/04/24

Full Review

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David Ayer

Director

Jake Gyllenhaal

Brian Taylor

Michael Peña

Mike Zavala

Natalie Martinez

Gabby

Anna Kendrick

Janet

David Harbour

Van Hauser

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Synopsis

Longtime LAPD partners and friends, Brian Taylor (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Mike Zavala (Michael Peña) patrol one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in Los Angeles. Though they may bend the rules, their honor and dedication to the job are unquestioned. Taylor and Zavala always have each other's back, even if Taylor's surreptitious filming of their daily activities for a college course is a bit ill-advised. All hell breaks loose for the officers when they run afoul of a vicious Mexican cartel.

Director: David Ayer
Producer: John Lesher, David Ayer, Nigel Sinclair, Matt Jackson
Screenwriter: David Ayer
Distributor: Open Road
Production Co: Le Grisbi
Rating: R (Sexual References|Pervasive Language|Some Disturbing Images|Some Drug Use|Strong Violence)
Genre: Crime, Drama, Action
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 21, 2012, Wide
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Dec 7, 2012
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 10, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $41.0M
Runtime: 1h 49m

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