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5.7/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 5.7/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Police Car 17 remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Honestly, only if you're a sucker for 1930s B-movies. If you want high-octane thrills or deep character studies, keep walking. But if you dig that specific, dusty atmosphere of old patrol films, you'll probably enjoy the ride. Just don't expect it to change your life.
It’s not trying to be Alias the Doctor, that's for sure. It’s just two guys in a car, mostly talking and driving.
There's this weirdly charming simplicity to the whole thing. The dialogue feels like it was written on the back of a napkin during a lunch break. Sometimes it works, sometimes it just sounds like people reciting lines they haven't quite memorized yet.
Tim McCoy is solid, though he looks like he'd rather be doing something else. Maybe wrangling horses again.
There is this one moment in the second act where they’re just sitting there, staring out the windshield. It goes on for way too long. I think the editor just fell asleep at the desk.
I found myself zoning out a bit during the middle stretch. The plot is thin, like, barely there. It feels more like a collection of scenes than an actual story. You can almost see the director trying to find a way to get to the ending without putting in too much extra work.
It’s not great. It’s barely even good. But there's something honest about how lazy it feels. 🚔