Cop Car

Name: Cop Car
Genre: Thriller
Released: August 7, 2015
Duration: 88 min
Rating: 66
Cast: Camryn Manheim, Hays Wellford, James Freedson-Jackson, Kevin Bacon, Shea Whigham

2015

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 21 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 69 Ratings

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6.1	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 69 Ratings

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Cop Car

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Movie Details & Credits

Focus World | Release Date: August 7, 2015 | R

Starring: Camryn Manheim, Hays Wellford, James Freedson-Jackson, Kevin Bacon, Shea Whigham

Summary: When two good-natured but rebellious young boys (James Freedson-Jackson and Hays Wellford) stumble across an abandoned cop car hidden in a secluded glade they decide to take it for a quick joyride. Their bad decision unleashes the ire of the county sheriff (Kevin Bacon) and leads to brutal consequences.

Director: Jon Watts

Genre(s): Thriller

Rating: R

Runtime: 88 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

Kate Taylor

Sep 3, 2015

Director Jon Watts is smart enough never to deviate from a narrow vision that he executes superbly. Read full review

IndieWire Ibad Shah

Feb 1, 2015

The movie doesn't offer much in the way of substantial character development, but that's not a deterrent when the fun twists keep coming. Read full review

Jordan Hoffman

Aug 5, 2015

Despite the real, bloody stakes, Cop Car keeps a boyish sense of action and adventure through to a twist ending. You have a right to remain thrilled. Read full review

Peter Debruge

Jul 27, 2015

Watts demonstrates masterful control, pushing right up against the limits of what we can take (even non-parents will be rattled watching the boys mishandling loaded weapons), and yet, at every turn, the screenplay falls short of the picture’s full potential, missing opportunities that could have made this a classic. Read full review

Chuck Bowen

Aug 3, 2015

The narrative derives much of its tension from the unsentimental ambivalence Jon Watts displays toward the story's two pre-teen boys. Read full review

Alan Scherstuhl

Aug 4, 2015

The film soars early as a fantasy steeped in life and crashes into a drag of a crime drama, one ripped from the movies rather than anyone's idea of small-town Colorado. Read full review

Kyle Smith

Aug 5, 2015

Cop Car is an instance of what happens when an airy indie filmmaker tries to “do genre” and winds up being as convincing as John Kerry putting down his demitasse and dressing up in hunting gear. Read full review

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User Reviews

cronlee

Dec 2, 2015

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. One of my favorite movies of the last five or ten years! Novel concept and great writing (both plot and dialogue) - great acting, especially by the three leads (the two kids and Bacon); first rate soundtrack by a unknown to me rock band (usually these suck in indie movies: here the music works with the film and doesn't get in the way) - and wonderful photography. (Spoiler alert) A sort of Alfred Hitchcock cum Stephen King approach - two young boys out walking out in the boonies to the local stream stumble across a seemingly abandoned cop car, and eventually take it out for a joyride. But it wasn't abandoned - evil Sheriff Kevin Bacon had temporarily left it while trying to dispose of a body, but ran into difficulties with the disposal, so got delayed, tired out, took a cigarette break, then slowly walks back to his cop car to get the second body he needs to get rid of .... and the look on his face when he sees his cop car isn't there is a priceless piece of acting (and filming) ....
The plot just goes on from there, logically and = for once = unpredictably.
Despite its overall excellence, what really grabbed me was the acting of the three main characters. I have never seen Kevin Bacon so good: this is Oscar level acting. And the two boys are SO true to life re typical around 7 to 9 year old kids. I am a piano teacher, and teach and have taught a lot of boys this age, and the writer just NAILED the way boys this age act, think, and talk. I have it on DVD, and have seen it three times in the last two months. The third time was when I noticed how excellent the music and cinematopgraphy were, by the way.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

Tss5078

Jan 31, 2022

Now days, superheroes and remakes are all the rage, while finding something original and worth your time, takes some doing! Jon Watts however did just that, in-between making Spider-Man movies of course. Cop Car is an edge of your seat thriller that is as funny as it is exciting, and easilyNow days, superheroes and remakes are all the rage, while finding something original and worth your time, takes some doing! Jon Watts however did just that, in-between making Spider-Man movies of course. Cop Car is an edge of your seat thriller that is as funny as it is exciting, and easily one of the biggest surprises I've had in a while. If we're being honest here, after reading the description of this movie, I almost passed on it, if it wasn't for Kevin Bacon, I may have, but I decided to give it a shot, and I'm sure glad I did. Cop Car is the story of two naive and unhappy children, who run away from home. On their travels, they come across every ten year olds dream, a seemingly abandoned police car, unlocked, with the keys inside. Of course the kids take it for a joyride, what kid wouldn't, but as it turns out, the cop who it belongs to is not amused. On the surface this films seems like it's pretty straight forward, and at first it is. The kids, played by newcomers James Feedson-Jackson and Hays Wellford are absolutely hilarious. I really appreciate the fact that the filmmakers used actual kids to play these roles. A lot of times, because of language or content they opt to use older teens instead, and it's just not as real. The fact that these kids are around the age of their characters, just adds to the realness of the film. On the other side of the coin, you have the police officer played by Kevin Bacon. His character was kind of a bad ass, and even though he doesn't know it was kids who took his car, he doesn't want to report it, he wants to get it back himself and is willing to go to extreme lengths to do so. Cop Car has a lot of great action scenes, funny and surprising moments, and even a pretty interesting side story going on. You have newcomers performing along side veteran performers, making an interesting dynamic, and of course you have an original story that is most definitely worth your time!… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

TVJerry

Aug 18, 2015

The writers of this film must certainly have 10 year old boys at home, because they perfectly capture the logic and priorities of the age group (played with natural charm by James Freedson-Jackson and Hays Wellford, a RVA native). The duo stumbles across an abandoned cop car and go for aThe writers of this film must certainly have 10 year old boys at home, because they perfectly capture the logic and priorities of the age group (played with natural charm by James Freedson-Jackson and Hays Wellford, a RVA native). The duo stumbles across an abandoned cop car and go for a joyride. When the sheriff (Kevin Bacon) discovers his situation, he scrambles to cover his mistake. The innocent enthusiasm of the boys provides continual amusement, while provoking perilous caution from us grown-ups who better appreciate the dangers they face. The Coen Brothers' early films come to mind as the simple narrative develops into a compelling and quietly suspenseful ride.… Expand

3 of 5 users found this helpful32

DawdlingPoet

Nov 26, 2021

I quite enjoyed this film, in terms of the culprits being such young kids, which made the film more tense. It has some plot twists too, which I didn't entirely see coming. Its not great as I feel there were some plot holes and the ending is a bit sudde and ambiguous perhaps. I found theI quite enjoyed this film, in terms of the culprits being such young kids, which made the film more tense. It has some plot twists too, which I didn't entirely see coming. Its not great as I feel there were some plot holes and the ending is a bit sudde and ambiguous perhaps. I found the ending the most frustrating aspect but there are some decent action type scenes - a shoot out and car chase type scenes. Not perhaps the one(s) you may imagine but if your curious then I'd say give it a watch and find out for yourself. A good film - not a great one but a reasonably good one.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

mmweiss

Aug 31, 2015

It's completely ridiculous and quite cheesy at times, but Kevin Bacon and his amazing energy make this wannabe- Coen Brothers film somewhat entertaining.

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

FarhanFiroz

Oct 2, 2015

The was not the expectations.First and second acts of the movie was a waste and it dragged. The kids acting was terrible and execution of the movie was bad .The dialogues were so casual and antagonist was awful. On the other hand there were some redeeming points too. Kevin bacon was the bestThe was not the expectations.First and second acts of the movie was a waste and it dragged. The kids acting was terrible and execution of the movie was bad .The dialogues were so casual and antagonist was awful. On the other hand there were some redeeming points too. Kevin bacon was the best thing in the whole movie and his character arc was interesting.The cinematography was really good.The last Act was entertaining.

In the end cop car is a okayish movie but I'm really worried on how jon watts is going to handle the next spiderman movie .… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

KevinBaconsux

Aug 18, 2020

There is no end, why does Kevin Bacon do that, because all cool Films, like 3 Billboards outside ebbing Missouri did that? Such an Iidiot, not every Film with no ending gets an Oscar!

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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