“From the first tires-squealing guns-blazing car chase to the last quiet conversation, End of Watch is a visceral story of beat cops that is rare in its sensitivity, rash in its violence and raw in its humor.
“Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña star as partners fighting crime on the streets of South-Central Los Angeles. Their beat is poverty riddled and gang infested. It's all captured with a gritty hand-held intensity that keeps you on edge and unsettled.
“Much of the film is spent with officers Brian Taylor and Mike Zavala in their squad car - regular cops who who chalk up any heroics to just doing their job. Ayer has done a solid job of keeping them rocking between boredom and adrenaline-pumping action.
“The only relationship that really matters in the film is the one between Brian and Mike. There is a lot of love in that car, and Peña and Gyllenhaal make you feel it. The easy back and forth between them has an organic feel that is hard to come by. These moments nearly always bring tension-releasing laughter, which we need as much as they do.
“It feels as if Gyllenhaal has finally found his way back home after struggling through a series of roles that didn't quite fit. As good as Gyllenhaal is, Peña nearly steals the show. From the moment Mike Zavala steps into view, he is an LAPD beat cop in every move he makes. Writer/director David Ayer has been best known until now for his searing script for 2001's Training Day. End of Watch is distinctive and street worthy.” - LA Times
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