Brian Taylor (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Mike Zavala (Michael Pena) have a bit of a reputation as hotshots, but they get the job done. Brian is working on a film project for a college class, so a lot of what we see is seen through the eyes of his handheld video camera and smaller cameras that he attaches to his vest, but we also see security camera footage, police dash cams and so on. The viewer will get a glimpse into what these men go through each day as they rescue abused children, confront gang bangers, deal with human traffickers, and even go on something as dull as a welfare check that can turn into a gruesome scene of death. However, Taylor and Zavala have a way of stepping in it every chance they can and they find themselves busting a member of a Mexican cartel that has recently moved into this area of L.A., which soon places a hefty price on their heads.
While acting as moving targets for the Curbside Gang, a smalltime Latino gang well known to the pair, they also have to deal with fellow police officers who don't appreciate their methods, rookies who get in the way of deadly suspects, burning buildings that trap helpless children, and even somewhat ridiculous fistfights with gang members to prove their manhood. It's all in a day's work for Taylor and Zavala.
The pair have personal lives as well. Zavala has been married to his high school sweetheart, Gabby (Natalie Martinez), and they've just started a family, meanwhile Taylor decides to quit playing the field when he meets Janet (Anna Kendrick), the one woman who can tame him.
As you watch the rigors of what they go through on a daily basis, it can be quite painful. Writer/Director David Ayer worked closely with actual police officers to get a true sense of realism in the film and the result is quite gripping. While I am typically not a fan of the found footage genre, it worked well for the film and I wasn't nearly as disturbed by certain scenes as Geck0 and J.R. Nip, simply because I didn't find myself asking who was holding the shaking camera during scenes when no one should have been filming. If you can just accept it and roll with it, it's fine.
As far as special features go, you'll have a hefty number of deleted scenes, some of which really change the feel of the film. The last group of them were more behind the scenes footage than anything else. Also, there are a handful of featurettes that last 2-3 minutes each that are more like focused trailers.
Of special note is America Ferrara's role as Orozco, a tough-as-nails lesbian fellow police officer. It took me a few minutes to even recognize her, but she's pretty bad-assed and gives Michelle Rodriguez a run for her money. While I can't get used to Jake Gyllenhaal with a shaved head, he and Michael Pena were incredible in their roles and very believable. This is not a film for the faint of heart as there are some truly disturbing scenes, but if you like a good cop flick, End of Watch is quite powerful.
