Cop Car (2015)
2015
R
86 Minutes
Two kids find themselves in the centre of a deadly game of cat and mouse after taking a sheriff's cruiser for a joy ride.
User Review
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WHAT I LIKED: If Denis Villeneuve tried to direct a comedy, one could imagine it might wind up looking something a little like 'Cop Car,' and that is in every sense a huge compliment to pay. Yes Jon Watts' sparse and thrilling direction really does hook you on the edge of your seat, but it's the genuine charm and situational humour here that elevates the film further and not only has you hooked into the film's serious notes, but also has you emotionally invested in the characters too. It really does deal the two boys' situation with the perfect level of seriousness and whit as it means you're smiling as much as you are gritting your teeth, and this is helped as much by the almost nervously amused script and direction, as it is by it's excellent cast - Kevin Bacon on the one hand playing a truly menacing Sheriff, and James Freedson-Jackson and Hays Wellford on the other doing properly stand-out work for their ages. In the end all of this amounts to a rather unique success - a thriller that's as funny as it is comedic, where neither element compromises the other.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: It would have been better to give our two lead characters a little more time with the camera, especially as it's where the majority of the overall life comes from.
VERDICT: A thriller/comedy that's as charming as it is gripping; 'Cop Car' is a gem of a film that deserves far more recognition than it gets.0 member like this review.
