Any good buddy cop movie is dependent on the chemistry of its two leads. In “End of Watch,” Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña develop such a convincing rapport that their famous faces all but vanish within the roles. The adventures of Officers Taylor and Zavala on the streets of Los Angeles may not be entirely representative of day-to-day LAPD routines, but the performances are more “real” feeling than most police procedurals.
The episodic structure of “End of Watch,” depicting a string of interconnected days on the job with these two officers, brings an added sense of reality, as does the film’s frequent use of “found footage” style camerawork. Gyllenhaal and Peña bring it home with comfortable banter and precise execution of police protocol. There isn’t a moment where it feels like acting.
Grade: B+