The Stunt Driver
Rating: 5/5
By: Nathaniel Simpson
SCREENED AT TIFF 2026
While waiting for the press screening for Michael Dowse's latest film, The Stunt Driver, at the Toronto International Film Festival, I saw a press conference with lead actor Jay Baruchel, where he expressed that this is the best film he had ever done. I'm a fan of Baruchel's work, and I have loved several of his previous movies. So, I was hoping he wasn't exaggerating for this film for the sake of press. As I watched the film in IMAX at the Scotiabank Theatre in Toronto, it became more and more apparent to me that Baruchel might not be wrong about his sentiment. I'm not sure what exactly I was expecting from The Stunt Driver, and I knew I would probably have a great time at the treater with this one. What Dowse and Baruchel are able to capture here transcends just having a good time with a movie; this movie works beautifully on every single level. Not only are the filmmaking techniques really interesting to watch here, but Baruchel and co-star Ed Helms give perhaps some of their finest performances of their entire careers.
This film is based on the real-life story of Canadian stunt man Ken Carter (Baruchel) as he attempts to jump a mile over the St. Lawrence River with a rocket car. The film follows every stage of how this stunt came to be and shows the emotional and mental turmoil that Carter goes through as he decides whether or not he wants to make this jump. With car designer Dick Keller (Helms) and his faithful girlfriend Gloria (Laurence Lebeouf) by his side, Ken is determined to go down as one of the best stunt men in history, even if it means risking his life.
Before we jump into how great the performances are here, I really want to touch on the filmmaking from Dowse. This movie is based off the documentary The Devil at Your Heels, which documents the entire process leading up to Carter and the fateful day that the jump takes place. Therefore, instead of giving us a straightforward narrative for this picture, Dowse decides to implement some brilliant filmmaking techniques, including the use of different cameras, different aspect ratios, and utilizing archive footage during this time to tell this story. At the same time, the structure of the story is laid out in a way that makes it feel like we are watching a documentary of sorts, juxtaposing intimate scenes with Ken and his girlfriend behind closed doors with interviews and guerrilla filmmaking that we would find in a documentary.
At the same time, I think Dowse does a fantastic job of finding the right tempo for this story to take place over its 99-minute runtime. There is never a dull moment in this movie and it is constantly keeping you on your toes, making you laugh til your sides hurt, or making you tear up during some of the amazing emotionally-charged scenes. There is a little bit of everything taking place during this movie, and Dowse adds all of these elements into this great, big mixing pot. While Dowse's role as the director is impeccable here, I really do think we need to appreciate the writing of this wonderful filmmaker as well.
In my opinion, this is the best performance we have ever seen from Baruchel. Yes, he is hilarious in the goofball comedies, but there is something so grounded and real about his performance as Ken that makes you believe we aren't watching a performance. Baruchel is able to disguise himself as this real-life stuntman so well that it really immerses the viewer into the picture. While some may have written Baruchel off as just being a comedy actor, he does a brilliant job of showing these critics that he is truly a bonafide actor that can take on whatever is placed in front of him.
At the same time, I think Helms is perfect in this role. I have been a big fan of Helms' work for years, and there is something about his performance here that speaks to me emotionally. I think he does a great job of pulling all the punches here, combining his natural, comedic charm with some gut-wrenching emotional scenes that are guaranteed to bring a tear to your eye. Helms really surprised me here with this performance, and I think him and Baruchel complement each other beautifully. The same goes for Labeouf here in this movie; while she may not be in the film as much as her two male counterparts, she really steals the show in every scene she is in. I adore how Dowse and her worked together to show this journey that the character of Gloria goes on; not only is Ken putting his life on the line, but he is inadvertently changing the course of this woman's life. I think Dowse and Labeouf show that beautifully throughout this picture. I also want to complement every other supporting actor in this film as I think Ebert single one has a fantastic part in this movie that helps make the story what it is.
The Stunt Driver was a huge surprise for me. I absolutely loved every single moment of this film, and it really does a great job of making the viewer feel incredibly emotionally invested in this story and these characters. Not only do I think it is Baruchel's best film, but I also think it may truly be his most important as well. This movie deserves to be seen, and I hope audiences around the world love it as much as I did.
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