Review of Cop Car (2015) by Rangan R — 21 Dec 2015

Cop Car is a low-budget throwback to B-movie action movies about two young boys finding an abandoned cop car, and it was such a pleasant surprise.

This movie is so enjoyable. From the opening shot, this movie has such gorgeous camerawork and cinematography, and it's slow pacing and wide-open rural landscapes are both captivating and beautiful in their simplicity. This simplicity is also present in the film's intriguing and unique premise, giving Cop Car a certain effortless charm in its striking boldness and confidence, always engaging without ever trying too hard. The two lead boys are great in their roles, as are Kevin Bacon and Shea Whigham, all selling both the comedic moments and the dramatic. The ending, however, I definitely found to be the weakest aspect of Cop Car. The last 10 minutes is the only time where I felt the film actually became a by-the-numbers thriller, surfacing all the tropes and lazy writing that it had previously been subverting. The strength of the rest of the film though is enough to look past this flaw. Cop Car is a well written, acted, funny and super entertaining homage to old-school B-movies, and apart from a weak conclusion, it's a thrillingly fun time.