End of Watch (2012)

7.6R109 minDirector: David Ayer

2012 film by David Ayer

End of Watch is a 2012 American action thriller film written and directed by David Ayer. It stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña as Brian Taylor and Mike Zavala, two Los Angeles Police Department officers who work in South Central Los Angeles. The film focuses on their day-to-day police work, their dealings with a certain group of gang members, their friendship with each other, and their personal relationships.

Ayer, who had written several police procedural films previously, wanted the film to focus more on the friendship between partners and daily police work and subordinate the contextual elements of the drug trafficking story taking place on the streets of south-central LA. Gyllenhaal, Peña, and other cast members underwent an intensive training program to prepare for their roles as police officers. Filming took place in Los Angeles in August 2011 with a budget of $7 million.

End of Watch premiered on September 8, 2012, at the Toronto International Film Festival and was released in American theaters on September 21, receiving generally positive reviews and grossing over $57 million at the box office. The film received a number of accolades, including two Independent Spirit Award nominations.

As of 2022, a series adaptation of End of Watch is being developed by Fox Entertainment.

Plot summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

FAQ

What is End of Watch about?
End of Watch (2012) — 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 order
Is End of Watch based on a true story?
See the production background and source material details on the official Wikipedia article.
Is End of Watch scary?
Content rating: R. See the reviews tab for parental guidance and tone notes.
What is End of Watch (2012) about? Plot, synopsis and ending explained — Screencodex