Cop Car
is an unexpected little thriller that keeps you guessing throughout. Written (with Christopher D. Ford) and
directed by Jon Watts, it stars Kevin Bacon as the cop, and he is one of the
producers. Travis
(Freedson-Jackson) and Harrison (Wellford) look like they are about 10 years
old and have run away from home when they come upon the sheriff’s car out on
the countryside. They hide from
whoever might be around for a bit, then get enough nerve to run up and touch
it. No one seems to be around, so
they get in and start fooling around and pretending they are cops. As they get braver, they explore what’s
in the car and begin driving it (with only the Super Mario videogames as
previous experience.
In the meantime, the sheriff comes back for his
car only to be dumbfounded at its absence. Much of the suspense and thrill of the story has to do with
why he is out there in the first place and how he will devise a way to get his
car back—he is not in uniform and has left all his equipment in the missing
car. His conversations with the
dispatch officer are clever in their disguise of the basic problem and his
maneuverings to get his car back.
The boys have a great time at first, driving
the car over the hills and then at higher speeds on the highway. When they get bored, they stop and
explore the car further. That’s
when they find guns, a bullet-proof vest and a huge surprise in the trunk. My only problem with the film is that
present-day 10 year-olds are so much savvier about cars, guns, and electronics
than these two. With a little more
creativity, the writers could have found ways for them to get into as much
trouble without straining credibility.
The drama has clever twists with additional
characters that enrich its appeal and tension, such as a woman on the highway
who has to figure out what to do when she thinks she has spotted two kids
driving a sheriff’s car on the highway.
The experienced, talented Kevin Bacon easily
plays the role of the sheriff facing major dilemmas. The two child actors are as natural as they should be, and
adeptly show terror and concern when that need arises. Realistically, one is a little wiser
than the other, who offers common sense at first, but easily gives in to dares
from the other. One of the
additional characters simply listed as “Man” is played very effectively by
Whigham, who had a major role in the television drama, “Boardwalk Empire.”
A couple of good lessons contained in the film
are 1) that private citizens should be cautious about their involvement in
catching perpetrators—leave it to the police; and 2) that children should be
taught at a fairly early age about how to handle guns, the risks of taking
things that don’t belong to them, and what to do and not do in emergency
situations that arise (such as how to get in touch with those who can
help). The film could be used for
good teaching moments, but only if parents are comfortable with their children
seeing an R-rated film.
A joy ride turns out to be life
threatening for two young boys.
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