Cinematic Releases: Cop Car

 Kevin Bacon stars in Cop Car.

"In the words of
Billy Corgan `Wanna go for a ride'?"

With a simple name like Cop Car, how good could it be? Briefly, this is one of the best cinematic entries of 2015. With a story that could play out around us at any time, director Jon Watts delivers a theatrical gem that will sit high atop the list of thrillers from this year and will definitely find a place in my blu-ray collection when released. It's hard to capture hyper realism especially when the focal point is the dramatized relationship between two young boys. Watts draws powerful performances from all his actors as the two young stars find an even footing playing against one of the best actors of our generation. 

Much like 2013's Blue Ruin, Cop Car is a thrilling piece of cinematic art that wholeheartedly exists in the confines of our reality. Centered on two little boys that want to escape their boring, rural lives, the film takes viewers on a bumpy ride that is sure to ignite a sense of adventure and despair as all the main characters are put through a tension loaded journey to the core of a bad cop's failing moral compass. Similar to the aforementioned, Blue Ruin, everything in Cop Car could happen in our world, giving it a fearless amount of grit based around greed, corruption, and scenes of believable violence. 

Kevin Bacon has defined a large part of his career playing the bad guy. With Cop Car, he once again excels in this department. He's cold, calculating, and overtly reprehensible as a sheriff gone wrong. Bacon leaves his larger, big screen roles behind as he slips into the smaller shoes of a lower budget yet higher class of film making. Hiding behind a mustache and an a-typical set of cop sunglasses, Bacon becomes a manipulative, cold-hearted man on the wrong side of the law who will do anything to guard his secret life as a rotten apple. And the role fits him like a glove. 

"Respect my authority!"

Yet, the best performances come from Hays Wellford and James Freedson-Jackson. These two unknown youths give their all as the central focus of the movie. With a mild touch of angst, nervousness, and a prepubescent set of escapist rules, the boys bring a sense of realism to Cop Car that would have been lost on better known actors. Their emotions feel authentic, their chemistry is impeccable, and the dynamic between them is simplistic and perfectly rendered for the story at hand. Watts' convincing use of the boys is proof positive that he will have a firm grasp when directing Tom Holland in the upcoming Spider-Man reboot. 

If you're a fan of movies that could actually take place, Cop Car will be of interest to you. The moments of clumsily handled gun play blended with great acting all around, make it one of the must see movies of this otherwise boring year. Bacon paired with the always remarkable Shea Whigham and the two unknown stars qualifies Cop Car as a perfect specimen of what can be done with a little heart, a smaller budget, and a talented director that knows how to use his cast to the best of their abilities even when some of them have little to no experience in front of a camera. If you don't watch this movie, you're doing yourself a large disservice. 

Score

-CG