End of Watch

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End of Watch

R

2012

1h 49m

Crime

Drama

Action

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

85%

Tomatometer

181 Reviews

86%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

Longtime LAPD partners and friends, Brian Taylor (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Mike Zavala (Michael Peña) patrol one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in Los Angeles. Though they may bend the rules, their honor and dedication to the job are unquestioned. Taylor and Zavala always have each other's back, even if Taylor's surreptitious filming of their daily activities for a college course is a bit ill-advised. All hell breaks loose for the officers when they run afoul of a vicious Mexican cartel.

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Critics Consensus

End of Watch has the energy, devotion to characters, and charismatic performances to overcome the familiar pitfalls of its genre and handheld format.

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Wendy Ide

The Times (UK)

Feb 27, 2023

This abrasive and brilliant Los Angeles cop drama contains two exceptional male-lead performances.

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Francesca Steele

Independent (UK)

Aug 11, 2017

This is the thinking man's action movie, a cop flick that takes us off the beaten track. Above all, though, it is a bromance.

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Bilge Ebiri

New York Magazine/Vulture

Jan 8, 2013

Ayer and his cast appear to have so convincingly nailed the way these characters talk and act that you might not even notice the film slipping from workaday grit into out-and-out myth.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Feb 2, 2026

3.5/4

An intense, exciting, and emotionally draining picture.

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Jeff Beck

The Blu Spot

Jan 21, 2026

3.5/5

End of Watch is a surprisingly effective cop drama that rises on the strengths of its well-balanced screenplay, which fleshes out its characters quite well, and the strong, compelling performances from leads Jake Gyllenhaal & Michael Pena.

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Sep 25, 2022

3/4

Though Ayer’s screenplay resorts to some of the clichés we associate with the genre, the performances are so strong that we hardly care.

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Cork B

@RT87142816 3 days ago

Not a conventional cop flick... more like a 'Day in the Life' of a cop shot in POV shaky cam. Story centers around two cops that go through more crazy stuff in one summer than I HOPE most cops do in their lifetimes. There is no real central plot - more like a couple of threads of a cartel threat, their love lives, their partnership. Very well done with a great climax. Gyllenhaal and Pena were great. Kendrick was great as the girlfriend, but her role was pretty minor. Editing is a little weird, and the crazy coincidences used to keep the tension rolling were a bit convenient.

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Robert J

@RT28320834 Sep 12, 2026

pretty good for its realism and found footage feel. But over all not really a good story to go with it, although it does well at conveying emotion

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Mickey B

@Mickerdoo Sep 6, 2026

Escalates a little unnaturally and the villains leave a little bit to be desired. But Pena and Gyllenhaal are fun together and their ladies.

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Mario R

@RT66240435 Aug 28, 2026

Que pedazo de obra de arte 10/10 y god

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Rowan C

@RowanC3 Jul 29, 2026

End of Watch was such a good movie, and the relationship between these partners was beautiful. It showcased Brian Taylor (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Mike Zavala (Michael Peña ) taking on Los Angeles in one of the toughest divisions in the city. This movie shows these two partners taking on the cartel, and the cartel responds with full force against them. It actually felt like I was in the cop car with these people, and I liked the camera action as well. This movie was brutal, emotional, hilarious, and had just the right amount of action. I got attached to these characters easily, and I loved the little side plot with Brian's love life. It showed their lives outside of being cops, and I liked how that was presented. The ending killed me, and I could tell something bad was going to happen at the beginning of the movie. I liked the body cam scenes, and I just liked how there were so many different angles that I was watching from. Overall, this movie was very well written, and I loved it.

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Jose M

May 24, 2026

Keeps you engaged the whole movie

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David Ayer

Director

Jake Gyllenhaal

Brian Taylor

Michael Peña

Mike Zavala

Natalie Martinez

Gabby

Anna Kendrick

Janet

David Harbour

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Synopsis

Longtime LAPD partners and friends, Brian Taylor (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Mike Zavala (Michael Peña) patrol one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in Los Angeles. Though they may bend the rules, their honor and dedication to the job are unquestioned. Taylor and Zavala always have each other's back, even if Taylor's surreptitious filming of their daily activities for a college course is a bit ill-advised. All hell breaks loose for the officers when they run afoul of a vicious Mexican cartel.

Director: David Ayer
Producer: John Lesher, David Ayer, Nigel Sinclair, Matt Jackson
Screenwriter: David Ayer
Distributor: Open Road
Production Co: Le Grisbi
Rating: R (Sexual References|Pervasive Language|Some Disturbing Images|Some Drug Use|Strong Violence)
Genre: Crime, Drama, Action
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 21, 2012, Wide
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Dec 7, 2012
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 10, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $41.0M
Runtime: 1h 49m

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