As cop movies go, there have been quite a few in recent years and the tendency as of late is to go darker, grittier and almost have a hyper realism to the action and violence.
“End of Watch,” the upcoming action drama by writer/director David Ayer (“Street Kings”), is no exception, but there is a small twist. The film uses some found footage that takes us into the point of view of two police officers, Taylor (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Zavala (Michael Pena), as they go through the city and do their jobs.
Things get nasty when the two stumble upon a local drug kingpin’s stash of illegal narcotics, money and guns. Being part of a larger Cartel, a hit is then put out on the two cops, who still have to patrol some of the most dangerous locations throughout the city. This riveting portrayal of all the hard work, danger and sacrifices police officers have to put themselves and their families through on a daily basis just to do their jobs.
Open Road Films has released a red-band restricted trailer that is full of expletives, violence and some graphic shots of human mutilation and the barbaric nature some criminals use to make a point. You have been warned in advance, but if you’re interested then check out the trailer below:
I like the look of the film and feel like it will live up to a higher standard we have come to expect from these types of films. The footage looks great and although we don’t really get to see many other cast members the film also stars Anna Kendrick, Cody Horn, America Ferrera, Frank Grillo, David Harbour, Maurice Compte and many more.
Open Road Films was present at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con and showed a similar bit of footage, but it was just longer and with more storyline details to it. We saw the same action, but also got to see the comedy and really solid relationship between the two cops. It also appeared that they were trying to single-handedly take down this entire drug operation on their own and were putting their lives in extreme danger unnecessarily.
Another great aspect to this movie is how it showcases the side of Los Angeles that you don’t typically see. This isn’t the Rodeo Drive where Julia Roberts shopped in “Pretty Woman,” or the Beverly Hills you see in “Clueless,” it’s the darker side to the fair city and I’m sure some of the locations and areas it is based in will shock people how bad they look and can be so close to the glitz and glamour in the city of Angels.
What did you think of this unrated trailer and does it pique your interest more to see the type of content you can expect to see in the movie or would you rather be surprised and go in blind to these types of film? Leave a comment and let us know.
“End of Watch” is rated R and will be released Sept. 21.
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