End of Watch (2012)
One of my favourite genres of movie is "Jake Gyllenhaal being a deranged weirdo". Nightcrawler is absolutely the peak of that but there are plenty of interesting examples - Zodiac, Ambulance, Demolition, Prisoners...the list goes on!
End of Watch definitely falls into that category and does so with an interesting, almost found footage approach to direction. I definitely went into this one with some hesitation as, early on, it's hard to tell if this movie is trying to make a comment on the boy's club bravado and bullying of some police officers or whether it is raising up this attitude as a positive thing. Ultimately, I do think this commentary leans toward the masculine energy of the protagonists being a bad thing but I often felt uncomfortable at how much End of Watch straddles the line between portraying its leads as heroes or villains.
Both Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña are fantastic in this movie. When the movie falters, their chemistry pulls the movie right back on track. Definitely, where the script is sometimes unsure of its focus and begins to meander these performances do a lot to keep the audience engaged.
Ultimately, I can see this being a film that a lot of audiences would enjoy. If you don't look into it too much and see this as a gritty thriller with an interesting approach and a strong cast.
