End of Watch (2012)

Crime, Drama, Thriller

Director: David Ayer
Writer: David Ayer
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Peña, Natalie Martinez, Anna Kendrick

"Every moment of your life they stand watch"

After several movies portraying corrupt police officers, like Training Day and Street Kings, in End of Watch, writer and director David Ayer puts more accent on the friendship between partners and honest police work rather than corruption.

The movie focuses on the story of two young patrol officers of the Los Angeles Police Department, longtime partners and good friends Brian Taylor (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Mike Zavala (Michael Peña). Their mission is to serve and protect, their objective is to to ensure they get home safely at the end of the watch. Shot documentary-style the films follows their day-to-day police work, but also their private life and personal relationships.

After a routine traffic stop turns into an epic drug bust, the two find themselves involved in criminal case bigger than expected, that makes them the target of a notorious Mexican drug cartel.

Plot summary from IMDb: In South Central Los Angeles, street cops Brian and Mike are partners - balls-out cowboys patrolling the streets as Latino gangs are in a power struggle with Blacks. Brian and Mike get lucky a couple of times, making big drug and human-trafficking busts, so a Mexican cartel orders their deaths. We meet Mike's pregnant wife (whom he married out of high school) and watch Brian's search for a soul mate. There are internal squabbles within the ranks of the LAPD and lots of squad-car conversation. Can the lads escape the cartel's murderous reach?

Awards: 4 wins & 9 nominations.
Runtime: 109 min
R