Stolen Property

Cop Car

For most Hollywood directors there seems to be that one movie that gets you noticed. It could be a film about intersecting stories (Quentin Tarantino Pulp Fiction), a serial killer fascinated with the seven sins (David Fincher Se7en), or maybe a shark named Bruce (Steven Spielberg Jaws).  For those fortunate directors, it takes just that one movie to spark a landslide of opportunities to progress their careers. This year, that fortunate director is Jon Watts with a little film simply named Cop Car.

Typical young boys, Travis (James Freedson-Jackson) and Harrison (Hays Wellford), start their day by adventuring into the vast prairie bordering the Colorado town they are from. The boys soon stumble across a police cruiser in the middle of nowhere. As tactful as 10 year old boys can be, they try to stalk and taunt the officer that might be hiding within the car, but to no avail. Travis and Harrison soon discover that the car has been abandoned and all of the police officers equipment still left in the car. Among the things that were still in the car were the officer’s keys to the vehicle. Wanting to be daring, the boys decide to take the car for a joy ride not only in the plains but on the lonely back roads of Colorado. What the boys don’t realize is the true danger they have found themselves in and the life threatening consequences of taking a corrupt sheriff’s cop car.

The short and simple Cop Car had me intrigued throughout the film. I was captivated mainly because of the simplicity of the script and the great acting of one Kevin Bacon (Black Mass).  The story gives snippets into the background of the three main characters, but never delves too deep in fear of bogging down the true point of the film. I believe that is the great thing about Cop Car because we the audience is given just enough to keep us interested and worried about the boys caught up in this situation.

Bacon shines very brightly in this film. Bacon’s Sheriff Kretzer is definitely not the brightest crayon in the box, but smart enough to slide himself out of a least a few predicaments during this film. Though Kretzer doesn’t really speak, Bacon does a magnificent job of letting his body movement speak for him. Both Freedson-Jackson and Wellford are noteworthy as well. The unsuspecting boys are fairly confident and almost cocky during the first act, but when they realize where all of that landed them they quickly turn into the youngsters they are. The ability to do that was amazing out of these two boys.

Along with the directing credits, Jon Watts also scripted Cop Car. Watts is able to convey his vision very well with the script and the camera work within this movie. Putting the script, which we covered, aside Watts uses the camera to tell unspoken parts of the story. Most of this is done with Bacon. Like I mentioned earlier, Bacon uses his body language to ‘speak’ and Watts does an amazing job angling the camera to get the most out of what Bacon is not saying. Watts also uses the desolate Colorado landscape to show the audience how separated from the world this story takes place. Out in the plains these boys are alone without help from normal society.

For Bacon fans out there Cop Car only cements his ability to play anything. This is a simplistic story with no big explosions or underlining mystery, but yet it achieves so much more than any other movie like it. You all want to know why Marvel entrusted the Spider-Man film series to Mr. Watts; then you should view this film.

The Verdict: Worth Your Time.