End of Watch | Review
‘End of Watch’ is writer-director David Ayer’s latest cop thriller and what seems like his hundredth one. He’s previously worked on ‘Training Day’, ‘Dark Blue’, ‘S.W.A.T.’, and ‘Street Kings’. But hey, if you’re good at something then keep doing it, right? This new movie offers a refreshing take on the genre by depicting it as a found footage film. We’ve seen countless found footage films in the pas few years, mostly horrors, but the format fits perfectly this time. It doesn’t always seem necessary, but the format allows us to delve deeper into the leading characters’ lives and actually care what happens to them. And a lot does happen to them.
Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena (‘Crash‘ & ‘30 Minutes or Less‘) are LAPD officers Brian Taylor and Mike Zavala, two men who are good at what they do, even if they have to bend a few rules in doing so. They always get their jobs done. Taylor and Zavala are best friends, having known one another for years. Their relationship extends beyond the buddy-cop formula – they’re essentially brothers.
The conceit of the found footage formula is that Taylor is filming a video as part of a project for his film class; he’s studying up for a law degree. We see shots from his handheld camera, dashboard cameras, and mini recorders attached to their chests. There are also some shots that seem to be coming from nowhere, which is a little distracting but understandable in order to keep the look and feel of the film consistent. The fact that the danger of these men’s job is depicted so realistically makes for a pretty captivating film.
During this time Taylor and Zavala endure quite an implausibly high number of emergencies that include rescuing kids from a burning house, “honorable” fist fights with thugs in their own homes, and lots of shootouts. Taylor and Zavala unfortunately run into a dangerous Mexican cartel operating in LA. The two are so much trouble for the cartel that they impose a hit on them. This culminates in a third-act shootout that’s both mesmerizing and emotional due to the film’s provocative format.
There is also a little romance sprinkled in between all the action in ‘End of Watch’ that concerns Taylor’s relationship with his girlfriend Janet (Anna Kendrick, ‘Pitch Perfect’). Though this relationship may have been included to add some standard intimacy into the film it pales in comparison to the already heartfelt and intimate bond between Taylor and Zavala. When they’re not getting into trouble the two are having deep conversations while patrolling the streets. They discuss all aspects of their lives: their respective wives/girlfriends, their goals, their fears. These tiny moments are the emotional grab of the film and humanize these characters.
‘End of Watch’ does not follow the typical plot format. There’s no overall arc. It showcases a day in the life of these two men who are willing to risk their lives to help people, including each other. This is a thrilling feature filled with high-stakes entertainment that’s also true to the real life men and women out there taking upon the same risks depicted in this film.
