Director: Jon Watts
MPAA Rating: R
Run Time: 86 min.
In the early minutes of Jon Watts’ thriller Cop Car, I reminisced about my days as a youth, running around with my friends, saying swear words just for the hell of it and seeking out trouble like it was some sort of obligation. I then realized I was lucky that I didn’t find an abandoned cop car like the boys in this film because I very well may have found myself in the same situation as these unlucky brats.
Cop Car stars James Freedson-Jackson and Hays Wellford as Travis and Harrison, two young kids running away from home, who, while rationing off their Slim Jim jerky and practicing their cuss words, happen upon a police cruiser parked under some trees out in the middle of nowhere.
After cautiously approaching it like a puppy meeting a stranger for the first time, the two wind up getting in the car, finding the keys and subsequently heading off on a joy ride. Unbeknownst to them, the car belongs to a crooked sheriff, played by Kevin Bacon, who was up to no good and is now hell bent on getting the car back.
There’s a decidedly Coen brothers-esque vibe to the film, from its barren rural setting to the dry bits of humor sprinkled in throughout the brisk 86-minute runtime. All of these elements work to the film’s favor, making it a breezy little thriller that doesn’t overstay its welcome while also packing in a satisfying and surprisingly tense story.
One of the strongest aspects of the film is simple the fact that the kids act like kids. The first thing they do when entering the car is pretend they’re in a hot pursuit, yanking on the wheel and making the obligatory sound effects. The first thing they do when contacted on the radio is plan to make a diarrhea joke.
They act like how young boys (like me) would actually act in the given situation, and the film benefits greatly from it. This also adds an additional layer of tension as they haphazardly drive down the road, swerving between lanes and especially after they discover the arsenal of weapons in the back seat. At one point we’re left wondering if Kevin Bacon is the one they should really be afraid of or are they themselves going to be their own undoing.
The premise of the film is incredibly simplistic, and director Watts purposefully keeps it that way. There’s no extraneous padding or exposition, and we know very little about what this sheriff has gotten himself into, why there happens to be two bodies in his trunk, or why the two boys are running away, but none of that really matters in the context of this story. This keeps the narrative tight and to the point, and I applaud Watts pulling off this difficult feat so well. This one is definitely a trip worth taking.
Cop Car is a suspenseful, entertaining and ultimately fun ride, and with Watts lined up for the next Spider-Man movie, it has me really curious to see how he tackles a big studio film.
