User reviews

I guess you would have to describe Cop Car as a high concept movie, i.e. a film whose story can succinctly be described in one sentence. This is essentially about a couple of kids who steal a cop car belonging to a sheriff who it soon transpires is a very bad man. Do not let the simplicity of the set-up put you off though, as this is a lean film with a lot of good things about it. Firstly, we have the two young boys who are a great central pairing; they really act like genuine kids and are very sympathetic and humorous throughout. Secondly, we have Kevin Bacon giving yet another good performance as the bad cop. Thirdly, this is well-paced and builds quite a bit of tension as events escalate to an ending that is a little surprising. Fourthly, it's a rather well photographed and scored affair, with the sparse Colorado plains scenery shot nicely in widescreen.

This is a very good example of a film that keeps things simple while never forgetting to entertain and surprise. It's well acted, photographed and directed. It has well-handled suspense and characters you actually care about. Can't say fairer than that really.

I must confess - i chose to watch this movie purely because of Kevin Bacon. He chooses his characters very carefully so i knew this film is going to be good at some point. 😉

The story is about two boys who steel a cop car and a cop (not good one) who tries to retrieve it back. The story simple, only three characters to concentrate on - and very real. Yes, real, because children these days can be that stupid, and cops these days can be that "of the line". What i liked about this film is that it's not over crowded with unnecessary story lines, characters - it has only whats needed. And in a short time they can tell a lot that way. Beautiful nature, as it is, small town's life without any "glamour". And good acting - kids acted very naturally, Kevin Bacon of course was very good as always. I admire his talent to "get into" character he is playing.

I enjoyed this film - don't know why, but at some point it reminded me of "Perfect world" with Kevin Costner, just with less action 😀

I really wasn't sure what kind of movie this was going to be, it had a very lighthearted vibe for a while to a point where I was thinking it was going to be a very clean and tidy movie. Then came in darker elements to create what I felt was a more "full" movie.

The acting wasn't terrible. Most of the roles didn't call for great acting and the child actors were as good as you can get these days. And yeah the kids can be pretty damn stupid but that's how kids are. I have kids of my own and I felt the script for the kids was spot on. Kids have wonky ass concerns and realizations. They learn things differently and accidentally. They get dumb ideas and fail to execute good ideas. That is how children roll.

The movie kept me guessing as to where it was going to end up because when kids are so heavily involved in movies writers and directors have a tendency to weaken the movie. This movie told an adult story through children and that's not easy to do so props.

7/10

@JarlJarlBinks

When two boys take an abandoned cop car for a joyride, a sheriff, played by Kevin Bacon, desperately attempts to get his car back by any means necessary. Jon Watts directed this indie thriller which is just now getting a wider release after receiving positive buzz at Sundance. Cop Car is a fun, intriguing ride that left me wishing there was more gas in this tank.

Cop Car has a simple premise that is executed very effectively. The story is interesting and raises fascinating questions early on. Once you begin connecting some of the dots, Cop Car turns into a more stereotypical thriller. However, the director Jon Watts has very unique visual style which distances Cop Car from the rest of the pack. There's beautiful cinematography and great suspense throughout the film. I'm very interested to see how Watts does with the upcoming Spider-Man movie.

James Freedson-Jackson and Hays Wellford play the two boys who steal the cop car. The two kids are fine; they aren't great, but they aren't 'Episode I Anakin Skywalker' bad. The best part about these two kids is they act exactly how 10-year-olds would act while on this joyride. They play with guns found in the car and roll each other up with police tape. Seeing the kids' innocent mindsets juxtaposed with the sheriff's dark actions make for an interesting dynamic.

Speaking of the sheriff, Kevin Bacon is great in Cop Car. Bacon and his disgusting mustache take the story in dark directions in his attempt to get his car back. His presence adds the star power that the film deserves.

While the story is dark, there are some subtle moments of comedy sprinkled here and there. The dark comedy works well in breaking up the suspense just long enough for you to catch your breath.

Cop Car ends rather abruptly, which some might find uneasy. While I can appreciate the creative decision to end where it did and not have a 'Hollywood ending,' there were just too many questions left unanswered for my taste. This is one of the few movies I wish were longer than its current 90 minute runtime.

Cop Car is a very solid edition to the thriller genre due in large part to Bacon's performance, and Watts' direction. While slightly too ambiguous, there is enough suspense and intrigue to warrant a ride for yourself.

If you liked this review, check out more of my reviews over at www.watsonmoviereviews.com

While many films use the device of a "real time" narrative for effect (ie, where the viewer is given the sense that he/she is a participant in real time in the story) very few films run the device for the full length.

For example, the Bourne films went into real time when the main character was on screen, but otherwise maintained a traditional narrative. Examples of standout real-time films would include Tom Cruise (amazing) in COLLATERAL; Dennis Weaver in DUEL; and the Canadian sci-fi epic, CUBE.

So now that you know first-rate films CAN potentially be made using the technique, the writer/director of this film (to be kind) did not set his sights quite that high.

Overall, it is not a bad film, it is incredibly engaging given how little is actually going on. However, while all films require a suspension of disbelief, the overall problem with COP CAR is that the two lead characters, boys of about ten years of age, are written as the dumbest children ever to appear in a feature film.

Seriously. In an age where even the Disney channel attributes 'tude, street cred, smarts and fast moves to 7 year olds (ask your child if you don't believe me) these two characters as written are so far removed from coherent thought that the audience starts to wonder if they escaped from "special class." To use the term "pig stupid" for these kids effectively slanders the pig.

Bacon is excellent. Would like to see more of him in features.

A pair of ten-year-olds (James Freedson-Jackson , Hays Wellford) find an abandoned cop car in a field. When they take it for a joyride, it seems like they could murder themselves at any moment. But things only get worse when the small town sheriff (Kevin Bacon) goes looking for his missing car. To further complicate matters, a woman (Camryn Manheim) driving across the road sees the two children driving the police car. The kids find themselves in the center of a deadly game of cat and mouse they don't understand and the only way out is to go as fast as their cop car can take them. Their first drive could be their last ! . The ride is just getting started !.

This is a small thriller with surprises , intrigue , suspense and solid interpretations . Here the main entertainment is to see these two innocent children : James Freedson-Jackson , Hays Wellford playing , amusing , and make mischief, frolics and have fun themselves . While the adults actors are pretty good , such as Kevin Bacon, Camryn Manheim , Shea Whigham and Kyra Sedgwick, Kevin Bacon's wife, is the voice-in-off of the dispatcher. With special mention for Kevin Bacon who steals the show as the small-town sheriff sets out to find the two kids who have taken his car on a joy ride . It's a treat to watch Kevin Bacon giving overacting and angry faces while pursues and harasses his two little victims . As the playful children and the cunning cop holding a long confrontation packing intrigue , shocks , outdoors scenario , suspense , emerging twists and turns at the worst possible time.

Financed in short budget by Andrew and Walter Kortschak , Michaela McKee, Dianne McGunigle , Bill Perry and by director Jon Watts himself and actor Kevin Bacon himself. This better than expected motion picture was competently written, produced and directed by Jon Watts. This craftsman Jon Watts is an expert American director and screenwriter. This fine filmmaker started directing shorts, TV films, series , and getting hits as "The Clown", "Cop Car" and the box office successes : "Spiderman Homecoming" starring Tom Holland and Zendaya and "Spiderman Far from Home" . He directed Cop Car and Clown before he was picked by Marvel and Sony to direct Spider-Man: Homecoming . It's success resulted in two sequels, Far from Home in 2019 and No Way Home in 2021. He was also picked by Marvel to direct a Fantastic Four reboot film following the failure of Josh Trank's 4 Fantastic, but dropped the directing role . Rating : 6.5/10, decent thriller movie .

If you like the quirkiness of films like Fargo or Blue Ruin you will enjoy this film. I found the 2 kids to be absolutely adorable and at times hilarious.

There's not really much to the plot but it actually works for a film like this. The cinematography and music are excellent and really captures the small town feel of the film.

Solid acting all around especially by Kevin Bacon. There are quite a few unbelievable/illogical moments in the film but to me they are forgivable.

Original, quirky, beautiful, funny and crazy. Loved it.

The story at least is more believable than most. I think there are slight inconsistencies in the boy's ability to drive a car but the only clear example of that I saw was that one time they don't know how to use the brakes then just a minute later (their time; seconds for us) they use the brakes just fine.

I think there is not enough character development but at least you won't feel as if the movie spends too much time with character development. About the only character development in the beginning is that the boys use swear words and dare the other to say the same words. That is how the movie begins.

The story occurs in Colorado but only on large, dry plains and the only hills are far in the background.

There are many things that are not clear (many questions that are never answered) and be prepared for a sudden ending.

One thing that should be clarified is that in the beginning things are shown out of sequence. This is only at the beginning. They show the boys then they show someone else but part of what that someone else does happens before part of what the boys do. You will figure it out but it helps to be prepared.

Other than that it is a good story.

If Lloyd and Harry of "Dumb and Dumber" were ever kids, this could be a movie about them ! Two of the Dumbest kids I have ever seen on cinema, steal a Cop Car and go on an adventure. (The fact that the kids are young is not an excuse for such an amount of stupidity.) Calling this movie a Thriller,in my opinion is not an accurate category description. Maybe if they edit out the blood they can release it as a "Family" Comedy. That would make more sense... I am very disappointed to see Kevin Bacon "starring" in such a terrible movie after his great work on "The Following". The performance of the two kids was not good. This is definitely one movie you can live without...

Great characters. Their back stories are hinted at and your imagination fills in the gaps.

Great writing. The dialogue has weight and sounds natural.

Great scenery. It's on the outskirts of an old dusty town, way out in the back-roads of somewhere and it looks beautiful.

Great storyline and a great score all at a nice pace and under a one and half hour running time. It has no need for flashy, gimmicky explosions or a convoluted and overly-complicated plot.

This is the best film I saw this summer.

It's a simple original story that keeps you wondering what will happen next. I don't know how a film like this can get made any more.

Kevin Bacon was pretty great too.

A great acting job by Kevin Bacon and newcomers James Freedson-Jackson and Hays Wellford. Surprisingly good movie with only a few implausible moments. Writers obviously remember what it was like to be a kid. The joy of discovery mixed with the fear of the unknown. The difficulty in figuring things out. The excitement of new experiences. This is a movie that makes you remember what it is like to be a kid. It sucked me in and I was thoroughly entertained. It is will worth your time. Give it a shot. You will not be disappointed. I know I wasn't. Review requires ten lines of text so I will need to type in several more words to get this accepted.

This movie seems to be in the like it or hate it categorie. I personally didn't like it. I just found it to be a very dry and boring watch. The plot is just super flat and very narrow. It also doesn't really have that shock or suspenseful factor that I was looking forward to. I was constantly waiting for this movie to get better and it does for the last 20 minutes which I thought was slightly above mediocre. But it was such a drag to get to that 20 minutes and even then it's not worth it. I will say the kid actors in this movie seem like real kids and not actors. And the constant banter between the two seemed real, but it isn't something fun to sit through nor listen to. Overall, it's a pass. I give it a 3, because of the well done cinematography despite it not being a mainstream movie. I guess some viewers like it because of the vibe and black humor, but it didn't work for me.

3.8/10

I'm sure there are many viewers who just do not believe this plot is realistic. I mean, why would a small town sheriff (Kevin Bacon) leave his cop car unattended while in the process of burying a man he just killed? No, I never did run into a similar incident but as a young boy my friends and I found ourselves in a few positions of opportunity that most young boys would run away from whereas we ran towards the trouble.

These two young boys named Travis (James Freedson-Jackson) and Harrison (Hays Wellford) feed off of each others sense of adventure and as their respective parents are somewhat absent (Harrison is being raised by his grandmother and Travis has his mother and a stepfather) they stumble upon Sherif Kretzer's unattended cop car and like two kittens who start pawing at a ball of yarn, before they can say MEOW their next behind the cop car's wheel and rolling down them there hills doing 100 miles per hour.

This film takes place over a short span of a few hours and as most parents can attest to as well as any juvenile delinquent, it does not take these two particular ten year old mischievous boys long to find a little bit of trouble escalate into a whole lot of trouble. When the boys stop their joyriding they soon realize that there is someone in the trunk of the cop car who Sheriff Kretzer has certainly laid a pretty bad beating on. The boys untie the bloodied prisoner (Shea Whigham) only to have the man they just helped confiscate their rifles they have been playing around with and lock the two mischievous boys in the back of the cop car using them as bait waiting for just the right opportunity to get his revenge on Sheriff Kretzer.

It's a cat and mouse game and these two young boys did not deserve the fate bestowed upon them but nor did they have to initiate it either by stealing a cop car. The film is not without some faults but let's just say "that stupid is, as stupid does, and trash like this can and does happen from time to time." I liked the film overall and I give it a 7 out of 10 rating.

This is a very dark and often unsettling thriller, with great performances across the board, and some good tension throughout. Although it's not the most exhilarating thriller, with the first two acts taking a very long time to get going, it is still an impressive film nonetheless.

Let's start with the performances. The two kids in this film are fantastic, and do a great job of making you believe in their innocence despite their taking the car, ultimately leaving them as the characters that you support because of their innocence, even though everything that happens in this film is entirely their fault.

Meanwhile, Kevin Bacon is very good as the police officer. Although it may feel like he sometimes doesn't live up to the terrifying dark secret that the man is hiding, he's still pretty intense to see on screen as he manipulates his fellow officers and the boys for his own means.

Now, the plot here is split into two clearly different parts. The first fifty minutes or so are about the pursuit between the kids and the cop, and they are, in truth, a little underwhelming. It's still a little tense and unsettling, but it moves far too slowly to be really thrilling, and it doesn't really capitalise on the really dark ideas brought in earlier on in the story, which was a little disappointing.

However, the climax was absolutely fantastic. Throwing a spanner into the works and completely altering the structure of the plot, this finale is extremely dark, action-packed and hugely exciting all together, and it keeps moving at a great pace with huge unpredictability throughout.

Finally, looking at this film from a stylistic point of view, it's not the greatest thing you've ever seen, but there is still praise to be given. Whilst it may look relatively orthodox (excluding some of the longer takes that are pretty impressive), it's the very subtle but slightly haunting score that plays throughout almost unnoticed that does play a big part in making it a more unnerving film to watch.

Directed by Jon Watts. Starring Kevin Bacon, Hays Wellford, James Freedson-Jackson, Shea Whigham, Camryn Manheim, Sean Hartley, (voice) Kyra Sedgwick. (R)

A couple of delinquent kids stumble upon an abandoned cop car and take it for a joy ride; Bacon is the small-town cop who needs to find it right away (like, really needs to find it). Compact, well-made thriller, directed confidently and photographed with precision. Watts knows how to deliberately ratchet up the tension as the story unfolds, but the plotting becomes less clever on the back end, leading to more conventional episodes of standoffs and violence. Bacon's performance isn't particularly deep, but it's believable, and he's able to tease at the frayed fringes of his messy, immoral character; the young actors do solid work, too, and the screenplay wisely acknowledges the way that kids can blow trivial details out of proportion and yet shrug at most consequences (it's less convincing, however, that the whipper-snappers could figure out how to drive a car so quickly).

71/100

The plot is simple: two boys stumble upon a squad car in a field. It's door's unlocked, and they jump in. It turns out the officer was busy elsewhere, and when he returns, he has to find his car. It's a simple premise, but the unique aspect is how the story unfolds. There are a few twists, though nothing too existential. Just a few plot developments that keep things interesting.

The cinematography and editing are utilized to include slow movements, few cuts and long takes. The sound design is excellent; we listen to the sounds of the environment more often than a bellowing score. Between these three factors, we are kept in a state of curiosity, of bafflement. That matches the tone of the movie, so the filmmakers used these tools well.

Kevin Bacon performs his role well, and the kids do a good job too. They don't overact; they're not trying to throw their emotions in your face. Their actions are calculated, and that also matches the tone.

In terms of understanding the human condition, morality, etc., there's not a lot to gain from this movie. One could argue that it's a cautionary tale to warn people against getting involved in sketchy situations. In the end, it's a fun late night flick with a date or some friends. It's pure entertainment, simple as that. If that's what you're going for, you'll like this movie.

I can't believe the high ratings for this film as it is unbelievable, badly paced, terribly written and all the characters including the boys I would imagine may be unliked by most audiences.

I really wouldn't like to think that the reviews here are fake but more likely Bacon is a big draw and used by bad movie makers with little to say!

After having watched at least one movie a day since I picked up the habit lockdown I haven't come across more than a handfu that have scored 7 or above, most are just banal rubbish that may start well for first or possibly even 2nd Act by just spiral out of control towards middle or end! Surely we deserve better, no?

In my opinion 'Cop Car' can be described as a surreal adventure for two intrepid young souls. Two boys about 9 or 10 years old are taken with 'running away from home' and discover the world outside of their youthful knowledge & experience is more than they ever imagined.

Director/writer: Jon Watts and writer: Christopher D. Ford have smartly kept the dialog minimal and the setting vast and expansive. In doing this the viewer must concentrate solely on and only on the main characters - Kretzer, Travis & Harrison. These three are the story! In the grand open landscape they are the only movement & action to be seen.

The pacing of the movie takes the viewer on a roller coaster ride of tension and suspense. Just like a roller coaster the start is a slow climb up then the action starts. You do not know what is going to happen to the two intrepid boys (Travis & Harrison) while they are innocently on their own. Then Kretzer shows up and the tension builds and builds.

This is a fine bit of cinema - simple, fast, suspenseful - and only 4 main characters to concentrate on. I recommend watching this movie because anyone who likes a real 'seat gripper' gets a great payoff.

You know, for a little indie film, this is pretty good. It was a plot that I would describe as quite narrow, but it kept my attention from start to finish.

Before I jump into what I think wasn't the best, I want to mention the good stuff. Because as I mentioned, for an indie, low budget film. It's absolutely one of the better ones! So, the film starts relatively slow, but the more it goes on, the more interesting it gets. It's a narrow storyline, but that's all it needs to be. It was written good enough, where it didn't need to go out of its way to surprise you. The acting from Kevin Bacon I thought was really good as well and sold his role to me well. The movie was shot well in terms of it following 2 storylines essentially, never followed one character too long and split the difference well.

There was one big issue for me which stops this movie being above a 6 rating and that's that the characters were just very unlikeable. As you'd probably figured out from the bio, it's basically 2 kids vs a cop. The 2 kids, I thought were so annoying and I found it very difficult to "back them". The aim of the plot towards the back end is to feel empathy for them, but it was very difficult to do so as they were just so damn frustrating. The cop was more unlikeable, but that makes more sense as Kevin Bacon is playing this psycho cop (he played the role pretty damn well).

This leads to my other issue which is that I thought the suspense during the course of the movie wasn't working for me as I wasn't too bothered about what happened to the characters? Am I supposed to feel empathy towards 2 kids that steal a cop car and start messing about with guns etc?

So yeah, it's an interesting film, but needs just a little more to surpass the 6/10 rating. However, it's a good little watch and I would recommend to anyone who's debating this one.

Nice story. Strong acting. Very good performances by the 2 young actors and protagonists. Impressive role by Kevin Bacon.