Jay Baruchel stars as Canadian stunt driver Ken Carter in “The Stunt Driver,” reuniting with his “Goon” director Michael Dowse for a biographical drama centered on Carter’s ambitious but ultimately failed attempt to launch a rocket-powered car across the St. Lawrence River. The film draws inspiration from the 1981 documentary “The Devil At Your Heels,” which documented the five-year journey leading up to the attempted jump, though critics argue the new adaptation fails to surpass its source material.
The period film features an ensemble cast including Ed Helms, Dan Bakkedahl, and Marc Beaupré as members of Carter’s team, while Laurence Lebouef portrays his wife Gloria in a supporting role. Dowse incorporates never-before-seen footage and a rediscovered radio interview featuring Carter under hypnosis, offering psychological depth absent from the original documentary. These additions provide some vulnerability to the character, though reviewers note the emotional complexity remains underdeveloped.
Baruchel’s portrayal emphasizes Carter’s flamboyant personality and desperation for public approval, presenting a notably different interpretation than the more subdued historical figure. The film incorporates Canadian nationalist themes, positioning Carter against American stuntman Evel Knievel, while making notable changes to the source material’s narrative. Despite technically impressive period recreation and cinematography choices, the film struggles to establish its own purpose beyond recreating events already captured by the documentary.
Originally reported by Variety →
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