Review by John Delia
A sly little film with a lot of drama from a small cast Cop Car stands toe to toe with the outstanding Indies released this year. At first I thought that it was another episode of “Fargo” with the kind of sick humor that last year’s cable show delivered, but on its own the movie just plays out with that kind of fell to it. Nicely written and excellent direction, if you like movies that get more twisted as it goes along, then Cop Car’s for you.
Ten-year-old’s Harrison (Hays Wellford) and Travis (James Freedson-Jackson) are already bored with their small town lives and want to get away from it all. On this fateful day they decide to run away from home and travel as far as they can get from Colorado. After a long hike they come to a wooded area spotting an abandoned police car. Heaving a stone at the vehicle they are surprised that no one has responded. Creeping up close they look inside with Travis saying it’s probably one of the cop cars they park alongside the road so people won’t speed. No says Harrison, it’s not on a road and it’s far from one.
After trying everything that kids do so they are not suspected of wrong doing, they hop inside the car, accidentally find the keys and take off on a joy ride. When the sheriff (Kevin Bacon) returns to his car and finds it’s gone, the day just got worse for him, the two boys, a witness (Camryn Manheim) and the man (Shea Whigham) in the trunk of his police cruiser.
Director and co-writer Jon Watts does a very good job of establishing his characters and setting up the fascinating storyline. It’s one of those plots where if anything can go wrong it will. And much like a story from “Fargo”, the further the audience gets sucked into it, the more incredible it seems. And like “Fargo”, crime doesn’t pay no matter what your age, how much power you have or even if you are just an innocent bystander. Trust me on this, it’s like a good book that once you read the first chapter you can’t put it down until the last page gets turned.
The acting by the two young boys James Freedson-Jackson and Hays Wellford turns Cop Car into a true mainstream picture show. This may be their first film, but you would never know it. They are able to depict very likable boys and we see the world through their adolescent eyes as they walk through the countryside saying all the curse words they couldn’t at home or in school. They keep their characters real and personal for the audience, showing their naive understanding of how everything works in the world and how fibbing can get you in and out of trouble, for at least a few more miles of joy riding.
Being a major cast member, Kevin Bacon really knows how to command the screen. More so he’s able to underplay a character in films where the main stars are two newcomers whose roles are the leads. It’s this unselfish ability that makes him an A List actor and he shows it here. There may not be an award in his future for this film, but I bet in the hearts of the two young stars he supports in Cop Car, it’s the best performance on the screen this year.
Cop Car has been rated R by the MPAA for language, violence and brief drug use. A warning to the meek that some of the violence gets very bloody and messy. Please use extra caution when deciding to bring adolescents along as bad behavior by the characters in the film turns into devastating results.
FINAL ANALYSIS: A very good film that will have you nailed to your seat till the credits roll. (B)
Additional Film Information:
Cast: Kevin Bacon, James Freedson-Jackson, Hays Wellford, Camryn Manheim
and Shea Whigham
Directed by: Jon Watts
Genre: Action, Adventure, Thriller, Crime
MPAA Rating: R for language, violence and brief drug use
Running Time: 1 hr. 26 min.
Release Date: August 14, 2015
Distributed by: Focus World Pictures