‘Cop Car’ Trailer: Kevin Bacon Plays A Deranged Sheriff That Chases Kids [Video]

Two kids decide to take an abandoned cop car for a joy ride, only to discover that the sheriff whose vehicle they took is a psychopath. That’s the basic premise for the new Kevin Bacon-starring thriller, Cop Car, which recently had its first teaser trailer released online.

Cop Car will be the first film for Bacon after the cancellation of his Fox television series, The Following. As previously reported by the Inquisitr, Fox cancelled the series due to low ratings. The final episodes were meant to put a wrap on a lot of things, but fans of the series protested after the finale ended, saying they wanted another season.

Along with Bacon, Cop Car also stars Shea Whigham (Boardwalk Empire), Camryn Manheim (Person of Interest), and up-and-coming actors James Freedson-Jackson and Hays Wellford. The film was directed by Jon Watts, who made his feature debut with last year’s Eli Roth-produced horror movie Clown.

Cop Car opened to mixed reviews earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival. Todd McCarthy of the Hollywood Reporter said the film has an intriguing premise, but it runs out of steam as it inches toward its conclusion.

“The idea of two kids making off with a police car in redneck territory would seem to hold all sorts of possibilities, but instead of delivering a rollicking joy ride, the film quickly runs out of gas as it devolves into a routine bloody shootout drama between two bad guys you could give two hoots about, with the kids stuck in the middle; despite the potential, this is no Duel with boys at the wheel.”

Brian Moylan of the Guardian praised Bacon and the young boy actors for their performances. Moylan also mentioned that Watts is a “director to watch.”

“He has a spare, intimate style that uses awkward angles to draw out discomfort.”

Dylan Griffin of Sound on Sight also praised the performances in Cop Car.

“Kevin Bacon dons a mustache and gives an excellent, high-strung and fierce performance as a crooked sheriff trying to get his car back. Even at his most slimy and untrustworthy, he garners a certain amount of sympathy from the audience through Bacon’s immediacy in the role.”

Ibad Shah of Indiewire said Cop Car may have a short runtime, but it’s well made and holds the viewer’s attention.

“The brisk 86 minutes fly by, keeping the story as lean and efficient as possible. As a result, 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.”

Cop Car is scheduled for release on August 7, according to its IMDb profile.

[Image via YouTube screencap]