Ken Carter knew how to dream big.
Set in the mid-1970s, The Stunt Driver tells the story of Ken Carter (Jay Baruchel), a Canadian stunt driver who conquered the world with his desire to entertain audiences. However, to truly leave an impressive legacy, Carter devises a plan to do what many consider to be impossible. Assembling a team to help him build a rocket car, Carter dreams of jumping the mile-long waters across the St. Lawrence River. With glory in his sights, Carter will do battle with his personal demons as he also attempts to defy the laws of physics.
Directed by Michael Dowse, The Stunt Driver accelerates to remarkable speeds but never leaves the viewer behind. Led by a career-best performance by Baruchel, Driver manages to both entertain the viewer while also engaging them emotionally. Despite the heightened world that Carter lives within, Dowse keeps the film simple by focusing his lens on the man instead of the mission itself. Even though the film’s narrative push remains focused on the impossible jump, its heart and soul remains the person behind the wheel.
In essences, this really is a film about the Stunt Driver.
As such, it’s Baruchel who keeps the film firmly on the road. Though he’s largely known as a comedic actor, Driverallows him to bring a gravitas (and, arguably, sadness) to the role of Carter that kicks the film into overdrive. Yes, the film allows him to bring a silliness to the character in moments but never in a way that doesn’t feel genuine. Baruchel wants us to see Carter as a man of inescapable vision who struggles with what seems to be inevitable failure.
And this allows Baruchel to bring a raw sensitivity to his performance. At the same time, we can both love and hate this character. Here, Carter is shown as a man driven to prove himself to the world. When others doubt his abilities, Carter refuses to accept defeat. In many ways, he feels like a boxer who just won’t stay down. He’s fiery and relentless, ever pushing for immortality.
At the same time, there’s also an insecurity about him that makes his endless string of attempts feel futile. Constantly comparing himself to Evil Knievel, he needs the media to praise him for his efforts. (After all, he believes that he’s destined for greatness.) Yet, Baruchel also embeds Carter’s furious bravado with a sense of imposter syndrome. His unremitting pursuit of greatness is as much about proving he can do it to himself as it is any particular media coverage. Despite having the support of his family and friends, it’s this aspect of his personality that tends to push them away.
In this way, there remains a broken authenticity to Baruchel’s performance that never allows us to either fully support or fully deny Carter’s efforts. We cheer his wry charm and furious chase for significance but his insecurities border on an arrogance that make us uncomfortable.
In short, Carter never feels anything but human.
And that’s the real Stunt that this Driver navigates so well. Baruchel never allows his daredevil to feel anything but grounded. There’s something entirely relatable about this particular character that highlights man’s inability to overcome his own failings. Like Icarus flying too close to the sun, Carter refuses to be denied, even at the expense of those who have remained faithful to him. There’s a recklessness that seems to fuel his work and we can’t take our eyes off of it.
While it’s true, we’ve seen stories about the man obsessed with greatness before, Carter’s story somehow feels fresh. Built upon Baruchel’s undeniably charismatic performance, Dowse is able to weave a tale that keeps the viewer engaged from the moment that the ignition is turned to the final launch. It’s fast, furious and never hits the brakes.
The Stunt Driver is available in theatres on Friday, September 25th, 2026.
