End of Watch

   Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena put on great performances as two young officers of the LA beat. At the beginning I didn't know if I liked their characters or not. They came across as immature, foolish cops with massive egos, however, they grew on me as the film progressed.
   A routine traffic stop leads to an address, which stirs Brian's (Gyllenhaal) curiosity, but ends up marking them both for death as they get on the wrong side of the Mexican cartel. The way the Cartel members come across makes it very easy to dislike them. Or maybe I just couldn't stand the way they talked...
   Brian records his shifts on camera even though his superiors and many other officers are not happy about it. This creates a great sense of gritty realism as many of the shots come from Brian's cameras. The film takes place in the darker side of LA, there's no Hollywood, big mansions or fancy living. This is the real world and a harsh one at that.
   End of Watch is a gripping crime thriller that also doesn't lay low on the humour. Jake Gyllenhaal is picking his films wisely and this is one definitely not to miss.


For fans of cops, realism and Jake Gyllenhaal.

Stars ****