DVD Round-Up: "End of Watch" Starring Jake Gyllenhaal and "The Possession" Starring Jeffrey Dean Morgan

End of Watch (2012)

The Basics: Two police officers from South Central Los Angeles encounter a variety of disturbing crimes and soon run afoul of a drug cartel who target them for revenge.

Reasons to Watch: The chemistry between officers Taylor (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Zavala (Michael Peña) is the centerpiece of the film. Their rapport is realistic, often amusing, and even though Taylor can be a bit of an ass, viewers will want to root for both of them. Gyllenhaal and Peña deliver some of their best work to date for writer/director David Ayer, who has crafted a gritty, brutally honest and no holds barred film.

The Bottom Line: The violent nature of some scenes, along with the generally depressing subject matter, make the film difficult to watch at times, but the infusion of humor in the rapport between Taylor and Zavala helps to lighten the mood. The personal lives of both characters are explored in detail throughout the film, as viewers are continually drawn into their lives, thus making it easy to become attached to them. However, the constant dangers that the duo face threaten to derail their lives at any given moment, which leads to many tense and suspenseful scenes. In other words, viewers are in for a ride on an emotional roller coaster where things do not always turn out as expected.

The Possession (2012)

The Basics: Horror movie centering around a haunted dybbuk box that houses a spirit which attaches itself to a young girl, Em (Natasha Calis), and unleashes mayhem on her already broken family.

Reasons to Watch: The Possession, directed by Ore Bornedal, offers a few good scares and features an above average cast, including Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Kyra Sedgwick.

The Bottom Line: The Possession is based on a true story, but after researching its origins, I found that the film strays from the source material which actually interested me more than the film itself. The Possession is well paced, but some characters get lost in the shuffle. For instance, after appearing in many scenes during the first half of the film, Em's sister, Hannah (Madison Davenport), is missing in action for much of the second half. In addition, Stephanie's boyfriend, Brett (Grant Show), disappears after he is attacked by the spirit inhabiting Em and is not mentioned or seen again for the balance of the film. In this case, a longer run time may have been beneficial for continuity purposes. Overall, The Possession is a decent effort and if there is a sequel, I hope it centers around the original true story.