Jon Watts’ “Cop Car” – 2015 Fantasia Film Review

Two kids go for a long walk across a series of fields in the middle of nowhere and stumble upon an unoccupied cop car.  Initially hesitant to go near it, a dare is made that leads both boys to jump inside and take the car for a joyride.

What the pair of young mischief makers don’t know is that the local sheriff to whom the car belongs (Kevin Bacon) is over in the nearby woods hiding a body.  They also don’t know that he has a second body stored in the car’s trunk, or how critical it is for him to retrieve that body before they possibly cause his ugly secret to be discovered by others.

Kevin Bacon as Sheriff Kretzer in “Cop Car.” (still courtesy of Focus World)

Bacon is both terrific and terrifying as the deep-in-shit cop who will stop at nothing to get his car back.  He must also work to keep the rest of the force from knowing that the car ever went missing, as the very last thing he needs is for them to send officers out to help him look for the car.  James Freedson-Jackson and Hays Wellford are similarly excellent as the young joyriders, while Shea Whigham impresses greatly as the very troublesome second body.

Bacon and director Jon Watts, who is slated to direct the yet-to-be-titled 2017 Spider-Man reboot, attended the July 28 Fantasia screening, much to the delight of a very enthusiastic capacity crowd.  When the funny and charming Bacon was asked about the biggest difference between working on a small indie film like “Cop Car” and a major release like “X-Men: First Class,” he joked, “You don’t get paid!”  He was also asked about the meaning of life, but could not – or would not – provide the audience with an answer.

However, he did answer when asked about his wife Kyra Sedgwick’s surprise vocal performance in the film as a police radio dispatcher. Bacon noted that she was not only eager to do it, but was – in fact – the person who convinced him to accept a role in the film.  Thank you, Kyra!

“Cop Car” received its Canadian premiere at the 2015 Fantasia International Film Festival on July 28, and will screen again Aug. 5 at 9:30 p.m. (sold out).  For additional information go to fantasiafestival.com.  Focus World will release the film in theaters Aug. 7.