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Cop Car

Two ten-year-old boys trek through barren Midwestern plains, trying to outdo the other with their latest knowledge in profane terminology. Somewhere between “shithead” and “boobs,” however, the boys (played by scarily talented youngsters James Freedson-Jackson and Hays Wellford) spot an unmanned cop car — keys included — and decide to take the joyride of their lives.

Directed by emerging talent Jon Watts, Cop Car is now available to rent on VOD platforms like Amazon Instant Video and iTunes. It stars Kevin Bacon as crooked Sheriff Kretzer, whose police vehicle is stolen amidst his covering up of the perfect murder. An unconventional thriller, the film mixes elements of the grit found in Jeff Nichols’ Mud and the cat-and-mouse tension of Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid. With its Midwest locale offering little-to-no variation on its desolate flatlands, Cop Car relies solely on Watts’ terse eye and his actors’ riveting deliveries. Bacon, who’s rarely one to disappoint, offers up one of his best (and, to be honest, most terrifying) performances — confirming that, yes, we should be taking all six degrees of him very seriously, despite his recent, inexplicable push to get Americans to eat more eggs.

The Following star isn’t the only one to take charge of the screen, however, thanks to the aforementioned Freedson-Jackson and Wellford, whose intense roles demand everything they’ve got. In addition to speeding down deserted highways, several scenes feature the tween twosome mishandling semi-automatics (sure to make any parent cringe) and negotiating with hard-boiled criminals. And while they’re certainly in over their heads, the fate of Bacon’s Sheriff Kretzer, as well as the film, rests on their tiny shoulders: a bold directorial gamble for Watts to take. The sincerity of their performances is reminiscent of young Noah Wiseman of Jennifer Kent’s haunted house thriller The Babadook — another freakishly talented child actor who held his own and then some. As Cop Car unfolds, however, the boys must grow up rather quickly given the mess they’ve stepped into with some dangerous characters who aren’t going to let them off the hook so easily.

If you plan on watching anything tonight or this coming weekend, make it Cop Car. It may look understated by Hollywood thriller standards, but its understated nature is just one of its many hooks to real you in and keep you on edge as to what could happen next. In short, it’s worth the rental money.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xn9GLjf49Qo]

[You can rent Cop Car on Amazon Instant Video, iTunes, YouTube and more]

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