The Stunt Driver Review
· culture
The Biopic Bait-and-Switch: “The Stunt Driver” Falls Short of Thrills
“The Stunt Driver,” the latest biopic from director Michael Dowse, promises an underdog tale with Jay Baruchel as Ken Carter, the daredevil stunt driver who attempted to jump over the St. Lawrence River in a rocket-powered car back in 1981. However, despite its impressive production values and technical aspects, the film ultimately feels like a redundant rehashing of the documentary that inspired it.
The movie closely adheres to the template established by “The Devil At Your Heels,” the 1981 documentary on which it’s based. The opening stunt sequence, where Carter suffers an injury and pleads with the crowd not to leave him behind, sets the tone for a film content to reenact moments we’ve already seen in the original documentary. This decision is puzzling, especially given access to additional archival footage and interviews with surviving friends of Carter.
Dowse’s reliance on formulaic biopic tropes may be the problem. By relegating Ken’s wife Gloria to a background role, worrying and suffering as her husband takes center stage, we’re presented with a familiar narrative that feels more like a rehashing than a reinterpretation. Baruchel’s attempt to add vulnerability and self-revelation to Carter’s character through his hypnotized radio interview comes across as shallow and one-note.
The film struggles to balance its portrayal of Ken Carter with timely commentary on trade-war tensions and Canadian nationalism. By depicting Carter as a zealous patriot who derides rival stuntman Evel Knievel as an unwelcome “yankee doodle dandy,” the movie feels dated rather than nuanced. This awkward attempt at relevance raises questions about whether Dowse and Baruchel are trying to tap into deeper cultural significance, but it ultimately feels like grasping at straws.
The decision to change the name of Kenny Powers, the American stunt driver who took Carter’s place on the jump, to Quebecois comic relief Lafontaine serves only to obscure another logical angle: the anti-American sentiment that could have added depth and complexity to the story. Instead, we’re left with a narrative that feels content to reenact the same moments from the documentary without adding anything new or insightful.
Visually, “The Stunt Driver” is a treat, with DP Sara Mishara using an array of formats – including digital, 16mm, and 35mm stock – to create a visually stunning period recreation. However, beneath its glossy surface, the film feels like a slow and plodding slog. It’s hard not to feel that Dowse and Baruchel are more interested in recreating the documentary than actually adding anything new or insightful to our understanding of Ken Carter’s story.
Ultimately, “The Stunt Driver” feels like a missed opportunity – a chance to explore the complexities of Carter’s character and the cultural context in which he lived. Instead, we’re left with a film that fails to add any new or interesting layers to the table. As we look forward to next year’s crop of biopics and documentaries, it’s worth asking ourselves: what do these films really tell us about the people they portray? And are they more interested in recreating the past than actually illuminating its complexities?
“The Stunt Driver” may be a visually stunning exercise, but when it comes to substance, it falls woefully short.
Reader Views
- PLProf. Lana D. · social historian
The filmmakers' attempt to tap into Canadian nationalism is indeed clumsy and misplaced. What's striking, though, is how their decision to adhere so closely to the original documentary's template might be seen as a missed opportunity for more nuanced exploration of Ken Carter's relationship with his stunt-driving contemporaries, particularly Evel Knievel. By reenacting rather than reimagining the events, they sidestep the chance to delve deeper into the cultural and historical context that birthed this era of daredevil spectacle, leaving us with a shallow, nostalgic biopic that barely scratches the surface of its subject's true significance.
- DCDrew C. · cultural critic
The Stunt Driver's biggest misstep lies in its failure to interrogate the myth of Ken Carter as a pioneering Canadian hero. Instead of challenging our cultural nostalgia for daredevil stunts and jingoistic patriotism, the film reinforces these tropes with a formulaic narrative that prioritizes spectacle over substance. A more nuanced biopic would have explored the consequences of Carter's stunt attempt on his own life and relationships, rather than simply rehashing the documentary template.
- TSThe Society Desk · editorial
One major misstep in "The Stunt Driver" is its failure to confront the darker side of Ken Carter's character. While Dowse and Baruchel try to spin Carter as a hero, they gloss over his recklessness and disregard for safety protocols. A more nuanced portrayal would have acknowledged that Carter's daredevil antics were as much about ego and personal gain as they were about patriotism or showmanship. By sidestepping these complexities, the film ends up feeling like a shallow tribute to its subject rather than a thoughtful exploration of his motivations and legacy.