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Based on the true story of Montrealer Ken Carter, the “Mad Canadian” stunt driver who tried to jump the Saint Lawrence River in a rocket car in the mid-’70s. Carter's dream was to end his 30-year career with a big jump, a big paycheck, and mega stardom. In the process of accomplishing it, he hired a big sports manager and enlisted the best in rocket car design, with the National Film Board of Canada filming a documentary leading up to the event.
Where to watch
53The Stunt Driver is showing in 22 cinemas in Los Angeles - next screening Friday 25 September at 10:35 at Cinemark Century Huntington Beach and XD.
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Friday, 25 September
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Cast & crew
6What people say
Tonally all over the place with a script that seems to not understand momentum or have a clear point of view, this silly and often warm hearted ode to living life on the edge is nevertheless a pretty amusing biopic about “The Mad Canadian” stunt driver (NOT daredevil, don’t you dare call him that) who spent years trying to launch a rocket-powered car across a mile of the St. Lawrence River. Jay Baruchel is great and, especially if you stay for the credits or have seen the award-winning documentary this is based on, you can really see how perfectly suited he was for the role. It’s funny, often weird, sometimes sad, but The Stunt Driver unfortunately has way too much to show and very little to say. Pieces of this story are thrown around with almost no consistency, and they amount to nothing but short, repetitive vignettes that constantly reset the movie’s emotional and narrative development, reducing a pretty extraordinary life of a person who did extraordinary things into a succession of anecdotes. It’s still a really entertaining chronicle of an extraordinary Canadian character, and it’s a fun watch with a crowd — especially a Canadian one — but this had so much more potential to be wild and experimental with its narrative approach. It could have injected so much more style and cinematic personality, instead of just relying on the gimmick of flipping, every few seconds, between conventional narrative shots and re-constructed documentary footage. ————————TIFF 2026Day 2Movie 2
Seems like an easy jump to do nglAIFF #5
Common questions
What is The Stunt Driver about?+
It follows the true story of a Canadian stunt driver attempting to jump the Saint Lawrence River in a rocket-powered car during the 1970s.
Who directed The Stunt Driver?+
Michael Dowse directed the 2026 biographical comedy-drama.
Is The Stunt Driver based on real events?+
Yes, the film adapts the real-life exploits of stuntman Ken Carter.
