End of Watch: A Must Watch Action Thriller That Is A Must in Every Way!

Writer/director David Ayer has executed a stunning tour de force in End of Watch, a surprisingly brilliant, action-packed cinematic experience.  Despite some odd directorial choices surrounding the use of hand-held cameras, the film pulls together a cohesive, exhilarating narrative that not only tells an action story, but constructs deep, memorable characters that we will recall long after the credits have rolled.

Premise: A film that follows two young officers and their lives until they are marked for death by members of a notorious cartel, during a routine traffic stop. Result: A brilliant, edge-of-your seat thriller that hits its mark in each and every way.

End of Watch follows officers Brian Taylor (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Mike Zavala (Michael Peña), inseparable partners who are best friends and “brothers.”  The film literally documents their relationship to each other, to other officers and their departments, to the streets they canvass and even to their own wives and girlfriends. The film, at its base, follows these two men and sketches an intricate portrait of the two men, giving them unusual depth while also realistically painting the dangerous LA gang landscape.

Ayer adroitly shifts from scene to scene, grafting an elaborate study of the bonds between Taylor and Zavala through what appear to be disparate events.  One moment Ayer explores their heroism – running into fires and shooting bad guys – while in another showing their human side, playing pranks and arguing about their relationships (re: wife Gabby (Natalie Martinez) and girlfriend Janet (Anna Kendrick).

He also successfully builds tension by introducing the other officers including crazed Van Hauser (David Harbour), emotionally-scarred Sarge (Frank Grillo), and friendly rivals Orozco (America Ferrera) and Davis (Cody Horn) as the department faces off against an ever-more uncontrollable threat from the cartels.  There is a sense of danger and adventure as the reality of each event splashes on screen and audiences will be gripped to their seats for every moment.

However, despite what sometimes feels like incoherence in the story, every scene, every step these men takes moves the film along, progressing to an inevitable conflict.  Whether fate or simple coincidence, these men, through heroism and a sense of invincibility, stumble ever closer to a collision course with a cartel that is invading the streets.

There is a palpable terror as this horror manifests itself, not as some imposing, unreal villain, but as a faceless, ruthless machine that will use any and all means to advance its power.  Every second of this film has purpose and audiences will be thankful for each breathless moment.

Of course, not everything runs perfectly. Ayer, for some reason not entirely clear, chooses to navigate this study via every hand-held camera visual conceivable.  On the one hand, Taylor films his day-to-day escapades for a film studies class, setting the strange for a strange Cops-esque-on-steroids feel. But for no reason at all everyone else seems to have a camera as well, including a Latin gang led by terrifying Big Evil (Maurice Compte) ultimately compounding the visual confusion.  While this approach becomes clearer and more tolerable as the film progresses, and it does add to the chaotic element at its core, it is still an initial drawback to the experience.

Fortunately, the performances in this movie not only work with Ayers’ aggressive approach, they elevate it, adding that final intangible dimension to an already spotless cinematic affair.   Gyllenhaal and Peña are flawless, not only constructing deep, nuanced, believable characters, but harnessing action, heroism, love and humor all within the walls of their characters.  These men not only demand audience attention, they render everything else shadow, commanding the screen with every trick in the book.

The rest of the cast is purposefully relegated to secondary status, but even in these supporting roles, each performs his or her duty with skillful artistry.  Kendrick and Martinez, as the wives, are also powerful, humanizing our heroes and giving faces to yet another real consequence of the danger.

Ferrara stands out as the most prominent of the officers, communicating a brooding toughness that signals a troubled past but an equally powerful resolve. Harbor and Grillo round out the other notable officers, each representing another aspect of the complex network of individuals who choose the profession and both provide tangential but powerful stories to add to the mix (especially Grillo in the wedding scene where a side story somehow generates a resounding impact).

Compte and his posse are also quite notable, delivering terrifying performances sure to shake anyone’s foundation.  Each is more chaotic in nature than the last, explosive and erratic, yet somehow managing to talk sense in their roles as blood-thirsty monsters.

The resolution of this film is also highly unexpected.  While there would seem to be relatively few routes to be taken with a film like this, Ayers will keep observers desperately breathless, entranced until the very final scene.  While it is impossible to please everyone, the result is so raw and authentic, filled with exactly the right visuals and dialogue, that it is likely to hit its intended mark no matter the personal expectation.

Overall, End of Watch is a stunning action thriller that cuts through the grimy formula of cheesy, action films that lionize leads, removing all sense of reality from their purpose and person.  Instead, End of Watch is a striking tribute to characters that are every bit as real, courageous and human as the men and women who actually live these stories day in and day out.

Rating: 9 – An expensive red wine and juicy steak that someone else is paying for and where you don’t have to put out