Here's a guide to the soundtrack of 2012 cop drama End Of Watch. David Ayer first made a name for himself as the screenwriter on movies like Training Day and U-571 but directing his first feature with 2005's Harsh Times, fronted by Christian Bale. In the years that followed, Ayer tended to stick to gritty, R-rated thrillers, including 2008's Street Kings starring Keanu Reeves and Chris Evans and Sabotage, which featured Arnold Schwarzenegger in a rare anti-hero part as a corrupt DEA agent.
His 2012 thriller End Of Watch cast Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña as two LAPD officers, with the story detailing their daily lives on the job before they make enemies with a cartel. The movie is one of David Ayer's best-reviewed, with particular praise being given to the affecting friendship between Peña and Gyllenhaal's characters. The End Of Watch ending was also noted for being a particularly emotional one, though some critics felt the survival of a certain character stretched credibility, and Ayer later confirmed a darker finale was shot but he opted for the more hopeful one.
The End Of Watch soundtrack was composed by David Sardy, who would return to collaborate with David Ayer on both Sabotage and 2017's Bright. Here's a guide to every song and track that appears on the official soundtrack.
- Harder Than You Think – Public Enemy
- I Am The Police – David Sardy
- My Evil Is Big – David Sardy
- Hey! Love – The Delfonics
- Follow Me Into The House – David Sardy
- Heroes – David Sardy
- Hold The Baby / You Can’t Live Without Her – David Sardy
- Lisa’s Coming – Latin Rascals
- Take Care Of Janet – David Sardy
- Minivan Tail – David Sardy
- Alley Escape – David Sardy
- Funeral – David Sardy
- Nobody to Love ft. David Sardy – Josh Homme
Most of End Of Watch's soundtrack is comprised of music by David Sardy, mixed in with songs from acts like Public Enemy, Latin Rascals and The Delfonics. While not part of the soundtrack release, songs like "Fade Into You" by Mazzy Star and "Push It" by Salt-N-Pepa are heard in the movie too.
Despite a decent chunk of End Of Watch being shot in the found footage style - justified in the story by Gyllenhaal's character making a documentary project - it's rarely considered to be part of that particular subgenre. In recent years David Ayer has moved towards bigger budget projects, such as Suicide Squad and Bright, and is currently working on a follow-up to the latter for Netflix.