Cop Car takes place on the prairies and outskirts of a rural town in the heartland of America. There are only a handful of characters, and the stakes are kept high by focusing on how ignorant and naive the sweet, innocent kid protagonists are, and how unhinged the threatening Sheriff Kretzer (Kevin Bacon) is. Director Jon Watts begins this story by introducing us to the two kids, playing in the desolate fields in the middle of nowhere, using their imagination to generate the usual childhood make-believe entertainment. Suddenly, over a small hill in the backwoods, they stumble upon a cop car. We know to be concerned for them, as they gleefully use the vehicle for fun and mischief. It is this omniscience that provides for much of the tension in the film, as the innocence of the children crosses paths with the greed and ruthlessness of adults.
James Freedson-Jackson and Hays Wellford are terrific as the pair of rascally boys. They bring you right back to childhood, to that period in life where things are at once life-or-death and too complex to understand. The adult world is too serious and too boring to be a source of envy, though there are a few perks - namely, driving. When the children discover this abandoned cop car - and find the keys in the ignition - this thriller really kicks into gear. The sheriff, owner of the car, is not too far away. As the kids playfully take the car for a spin, he’s disposing of a body. He smokes a cigarette once the deed is done, and returns to his parking spot only to find his half-empty beer bottle in place of his vehicle. The frantic search for his property - and whatever is in the trunk - begins. It’s life or death now.
Kevin Bacon is perfect as the sleazy, immoral, unstable sheriff. His cynicism regarding the people around him and his impatience towards their stupidity plays out beautifully. This is a guy who can’t believe his livelihood is endangered because two damn children stole his car. Cop Car’s most effective achievement is its a balance of real-world violence, both implied and shown, with the innocence associated with childhood. There’s comedy in that middle-ground, and there’s danger and sadness, too. This microcosm of bystanders being caught in the gunfire of greed and drug-induced madmen really makes one think about the bigger picture. Cop Car makes us understand how fast some people are forced to grow up in order to stay alive.
