The Stunt Driver
| The Stunt Driver | |
|---|---|
 American theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Michael Dowse |
| Written by | Michael Dowse |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Sara Mishara |
| Edited by | Reginald Harkema |
| Music by | Cristobal Tapia de Veer |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Mongrel Media |
Release dates |
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Running time | 99 minutes |
| Country | Canada |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $178,476 |
The Stunt Driver is a 2026 Canadian historical comedy film written and directed by Michael Dowse, based on the life of Canadian daredevil stuntman Ken Carter. The cast is led by Jay Baruchel, Ed Helms, Ben Foster, Laurence Leboeuf, and Dan Bakkedahl.
Premise
In the 1970s, stuntman Ken Carter, known as "The Mad Canadian" due to his daredevil stunts, plans to drive a rocket car across the Saint-Laurent river, from a 90-foot-high ramp.
Cast
- Jay Baruchel as Ken Carter
- Ed Helms as Dick Keller
- Ben Foster as Evel Knievel
- Laurence Leboeuf as Gloria
- Dan Bakkedahl as Bill Wilkins
- Joe Cobden as Bob Fortier
- Marc Beaupré as Danny Lafortune
- Jonathan Cherry as Ricky
Production
The film is written and directed by Michael Dowse and is based on the true story of the "Mad Canadian" stunt driver who had fame with his daredevil stunts, and the National Film Board of Canada's 1981 documentary The Devil at Your Heels. It is produced by Dowse and Jennifer Wilson through Cardinal Films with Macdara Kelleher and Eoin Egan for Wild Atlantic Pictures.
The cast is led by Jay Baruchel. Ed Helms, Ben Foster, Laurence Leboeuf and Dan Bakkedahl, Joe Cobden and Marc Beaupré, joined the cast in October 2025.
Principal photography was underway in Montreal in September 2025. Filming locations included the St. Lawrence River between Boucherville and Varennes, Quebec in Canada, the following month.
Release
The film premiered at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival, and was theatrically released on September 25, 2026.
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 73% of 41 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.4/10. Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 60 out of 100, based on 10 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.
References
- ↑ "The Stunt Driver (2026)". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved October 16, 2026.
- ↑ "Jay Baruchel's 'The Stunt Driver' Starts Filming in Quebec this September". The Cinemaholic. September 19, 2025. Retrieved October 21, 2025.
- ↑ Grobar, Matt (November 14, 2024). "Jay Baruchel Reteaming With 'Goon's Michael Dowse On Comedy 'The Stunt Driver'". Deadline Hollywood.
- ↑ Grobar, Matt (October 14, 2025). "Ed Helms & Ben Foster Among New Additions To Michael Dowse Pic 'The Stunt Driver' Starring Jay Baruchel; Foster Playing Evel Knievel". Deadline Hollywood.
- ↑ Lapointe, Diane (October 8, 2025). "Filming that brings Ken Carter's crazy dream back to life: The Stunt Driver". Lareleve.qc.ca. Retrieved October 21, 2025.
- ↑ John Hazelton, "Chris Rock, Yeon Sang-ho, Peter Farrelly titles among Toronto film festival galas and special presentations". Screen Daily, July 20, 2026.
- ↑ Billington, Alex (July 1, 2026). "Ben Foster & Jay Baruchel in 'The Stunt Driver' Comedy Teaser Trailer". First Showing.
- ↑ "The Stunt Driver". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved October 1, 2026.
- ↑ "The Stunt Driver". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved September 26, 2026.