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End of Watch

From Alfawiki
End of Watch
Company typeFilm
IndustryMotion picture
Founded2012; 14 years ago (2012)
FounderDavid Ayer
Headquarters
Los Angeles
,
United States
ProductsAction thriller film

End of Watch is a 2012 American action thriller film crafted and helmed by David Ayer. The movie features Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña portraying Brian Taylor and Mike Zavala, two officers of the Los Angeles Police Department stationed in South Central Los Angeles. The narrative focuses on their routine law enforcement duties, encounters with gang members, partnership dynamics, and personal experiences.

Renowned for his work in police dramas, Ayer prioritized depicting the officers' partnership and daily policing activities rather than concentrating solely on the drug trade environment. To authentically represent their roles, Gyllenhaal, Peña, and other actors underwent rigorous preparation. Principal photography took place in Los Angeles during August 2011, with a production budget of $7 million.

End of Watch debuted on September 8, 2012, at the Toronto International Film Festival before its theatrical release across the United States on September 21. It garnered favorable critical reception and achieved a global box office total exceeding $57 million. The film also received multiple honors, including two nominations for the Independent Spirit Award.

By 2022, Fox Entertainment was developing a television series adaptation based on End of Watch.

Plot

LAPD officers Brian Taylor and Mike Zavala serve as partners in the Newton Division, patrolling the high-crime neighborhoods of South Central Los Angeles. Taylor, a former Marine, is filming their daily activities for a college project following his involvement in an officer-involved shooting incident.

During an incident, gang member Tre provokes Zavala with insults, resulting in a physical altercation that Zavala wins, earning Tre’s respect. Subsequently, Tre’s Bloods gang faces an assault from the Mexican-American Curbside Gang. While responding to a noise complaint call, Taylor and Zavala confront Curbside members known as "Big Evil" and "LaLa." They also rescue children trapped in a house fire and are later awarded the Medal of Valor for their bravery.

In the course of a traffic stop, they detain an individual carrying firearms and cash. This arrest triggers an investigation that leads to discovering a residence harboring human trafficking victims connected to the Sinaloa Cartel. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents intervene and caution them to avoid further involvement. Meanwhile, Taylor becomes engaged to Janet; Zavala’s wife Gabby gives birth to their child.

When rookie officer Sook calls for assistance, they find her partner Van Hauser stabbed; both survive but decide to retire from duty. At Taylor’s wedding, Zavala pledges to look after Janet should anything happen to Taylor. The following day during a welfare check, they uncover heroin shipments, mutilated bodies, and a threatening message from the cartel. Unbeknownst to them, the cartel has placed a contract on their lives.

Tre warns them about an assassination order conveyed by recently released inmates from prison; however, they dismiss the threat. Taylor reveals that Janet is expecting a child. While pursuing a reckless driver into an apartment complex, they are ambushed by members of the Curbside Gang. After neutralizing several attackers, Taylor is shot; Zavala attempts to shield him but is killed when assassins arrive and open fire. LAPD reinforcements arrive shortly after and eliminate the attackers.

At Zavala’s funeral service, Taylor struggles to deliver his eulogy but recalls their deep friendship through flashbacks before responding to another dispatch call.

Police

Family

Criminals

Development

Drawing from his upbringing in South Central Los Angeles and his close connections with LAPD personnel, David Ayer, the writer and director of End of Watch, developed a narrative centered on principled police conduct, marking a departure from his previous films that portrayed law enforcement corruption. He highlighted the strong bond between the main characters, intending for their rapport to be a pivotal aspect of the story. Ayer completed the script within six days in December 2010. Jaime FitzSimons, an ex-LAPD officer and longtime associate of Ayer, contributed as a technical advisor, providing authentic experiences that influenced critical story points.

Jake Gyllenhaal was the initial actor cast, quickly committing upon reading the screenplay. After auditions, Michael Peña was added to the cast; although initially reserved, the two actors formed a close friendship throughout filming. Both underwent an intensive five-month training regimen under FitzSimons, which included up to three weekly 12-hour ride-alongs with various Los Angeles law enforcement units, coupled with hand-to-hand combat and tactical firearms instruction. Early in his preparation, Gyllenhaal witnessed a homicide during one of these ride-alongs. Additional cast members portraying officers—David Harbour, America Ferrera, Cody Horn, and Frank Grillo—also received tactical training to enhance realism.

Filming

The production took place on-site in South Central Los Angeles, primarily near the LAPD's Newton Division, recognized as one of the city's most dangerous precincts. Filming spanned 22 days in August 2011 with a budget of $7.5 million. The movie utilized a blend of "found footage" style and conventional cinematography by employing four cameras simultaneously—handheld and body-mounted devices operated by Gyllenhaal and Peña, alongside dashboard cameras installed in their patrol vehicle. Certain sequences were filmed entirely by Gyllenhaal himself. An alternative ending featuring the deaths of both protagonists was shot but ultimately excluded from the final cut.

Theatrical

The film premiered globally on September 8, 2012, at the Toronto International Film Festival. Originally scheduled for release on September 28, 2012, its theatrical debut was advanced to September 21.

Home media

End of Watch became available on DVD and Blu-ray formats on January 22, 2013, distributed by Universal Studios Home Entertainment.

Box office

With a production budget of $7 million, End of Watch earned $41 million domestically and $16.6 million internationally, accumulating a worldwide total of $57.6 million.

During its opening weekend in the United States, the film secured first place at the box office with $13.1 million in revenue. Hispanic viewers accounted for 32% of the audience, significantly boosting positive word-of-mouth promotion. The release initially spanned 2,730 theaters and expanded to 2,780 venues in its second week. On December 7, following two nominations for the Independent Spirit Award, it was re-released across 1,259 theaters nationwide, generating $752,000 over that weekend.

Critical response

According to the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film enjoys an 85% approval rating derived from 183 critiques, with an average score of 7.2 out of 10. The summarized consensus states: "End of Watch delivers vibrant energy, a strong commitment to its characters, and compelling performances that help it rise above common genre clichés." On Metacritic, it earned a score of 68 out of 100 based on 37 critic reviews, reflecting "generally favorable" opinions. Audience feedback collected by CinemaScore resulted in an average grade of "A−", with the demographic breakdown showing 54% male viewers, 63% aged over 25, and ethnic representation including 39% Caucasian and 32% Latino.

Roger Ebert from the Chicago Sun-Times awarded the film a perfect four-star rating, describing it as "one of the finest police dramas in recent memory," and placed it fourth among his top films of 2012. Critic James Berardinelli rated it 3.5 stars out of four, labeling it "a deeply satisfying and emotionally resonant gritty drama." Olly Richards of Empire gave the movie four out of five stars, commending its powerful acting despite familiar cop movie tropes. While Bilge Ebiri from New York considered the film somewhat unrealistic and regarded director Ayer's effort as merely "serviceable," he acknowledged the authentic character portrayals.

Several reviewers emphasized the film’s innovative take on the police genre. Peter Debruge of Variety applauded Ayer for presenting the LAPD as "a respectable and proficient institution," effectively bypassing typical police procedural stereotypes. Lisa Schwarzbaum from Entertainment Weekly assigned an A− grade, calling it one of the most genuine American cop films in recent years that realistically captures law enforcement life both on and off duty. On the other hand, Rick Groen of The Globe and Mail felt that focusing on "saintly" officers was less engaging compared to Ayer’s usual rawness and realism.

The leading performances by Michael Peña and Jake Gyllenhaal garnered extensive praise. Debruge highlighted their immersive character embodiment, while Betsy Sharkey of the Los Angeles Times complimented their on-screen chemistry and singled out Peña for his exceptional work. Claudia Puig from USA Today regarded Gyllenhaal’s role as his finest since Brokeback Mountain, also noting Peña’s magnetic presence. Ebert described Peña’s portrayal as career-defining and additionally lauded supporting roles by Natalie Martinez and Anna Kendrick.

The film’s use of handheld camera techniques received mixed reviews. Richard Corliss of Time criticized the found-footage approach as "absurd," suggesting it traded photographic realism for genuine authenticity. Similarly, Michael O'Sullivan from The Washington Post found this style overused and distracting. Conversely, Amy Biancolli at the San Francisco Chronicle believed that despite some inconsistencies, the cinematography enhanced intimacy and enriched character depth.

Certain critics took issue with minority casting predominantly as gang members, highlighting concerns about stereotyping. Manohla Dargis of The New York Times pointed out that most criminal acts were attributed to black or brown characters, while Groen condemned the screenplay for portraying black residents in impoverished neighborhoods negatively.

Accolades

Honors and nominations
Award Ceremony Date Category Nominee(s) Outcome
Critics' Choice Movie Awards January 10, 2013 Best Actor in an Action Movie Jake Gyllenhaal Template:Nom
Golden Trailer Awards May 3, 2013 Best Independent TV Spot Open Road Films, Aspect Ratio Template:Won
Best Action Open Road Films, Ignition Creative Template:Nom
Best Foreign Action Trailer Tobis Film Template:Nom
Independent Spirit Awards February 23, 2013 Best Supporting Male Michael Peña Template:Nom
Best Cinematography Roman Vasyanov Template:Nom
Key Art Awards October 24, 2013 Best Audio/Visual Technique Open Road Films, Aspect Ratio 2nd place
Best Trailer – Audio/Visual Open Road Films, Ignition Creative 3rd place
London Film Festival October 20, 2012 Best Film Template:Nom
MTV Movie Awards April 14, 2013 Best Latino Actor Michael Peña Template:Nom
National Board of Review January 8, 2013 Top Ten Independent Films Template:Won
Zurich Film Festival September 29, 2012 Best International Feature Film Template:Nom

External links

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