Three days into TIFF 2026, The Stunt Driver from Michael Dowse, starring Jay Baruchel, is my biggest surprise so far. Heading into the film, I expected another silly but funny film with Baruchel, and though it has that in spades, it also has some A-tier acting from its lead and co-stars.
The Stunt Driver is a story based on a documentary about a Canadian stunt driver named Ken Carter who took nearly a decade to set up a one-mile jump over the St. Lawrence River. The movie is filled with Jay Baruchel playing Ken Carter, Laurence Leboeuf playing his wife Gloria, and directed by Michael Dowse; it could have been a real love letter to Canada.
Instead, the film doesn’t focus on the “Canadian” of it all, feeling more like a story that can appeal to broader audiences. Sometimes Canadian comedies can lean too far into our stereotypes, but there is a balance in The Stunt Driver that feels comfortable and doesn’t make a joke out of us, which I appreciated. Ken Carter is still a very odd guy, but they didn’t use his Canadian-ness as what makes him odd.
“Sometimes Canadian comedies can lean too far into our stereotypes, but there is a balance in The Stunt Driver that feels comfortable and doesn’t make a joke out of us, which I appreciated.”
The film was shot in just 21 days and was fairly low-budget. On stage after the premiere, Dowse talked openly about that and how they couldn’t afford to use special effects or do these major car stunts. What they did instead was use actual footage from the original documentary.
Had he never said that, I would have assumed this was an artistic choice rather than a financial one, and I genuinely loved it. This all happened in the 70s and 80s, so the footage is dark and grainy at times, and it felt raw and real. I didn’t know much about Carter, but I bet those who do will get a kick out of seeing his real-life stunts on the big screen too.
The Stunt Driver is the funniest film I’ve seen Baruchel in yet, subtle at times, and outright at others, but his moments of sincerity are what make the funny bits so much better. I didn’t think I’d be sitting here saying Jay Baruchel, Ed Helms or The Stunt Driver made me cry, but it did. Three times. One was a big, dramatic moment, which is absolutely what they were going for, but when I sat down with Dowse and Baruchel for an interview after the premiere, they were surprised to hear about the other moments.
I won’t share spoilers, even if it is a mostly true story. However, there are a few small moments where Carter is no longer a character, no longer “The Stunt Driver,” but instead a man with real feelings, real concern, real fear. These moments are where Baruchel is at his best, even if they are counteracted by a lot of occasional cross-eyed comedy throughout the film.
The supporting characters in The Stunt Driver are also excellent. Ed Helms is sort of the straight man of the film, which is rare. His character is more grounded in reality and keeps Carter alive. Helms is firm, caring and exactly what the film needed. Laurence Leboeuf is Carter’s wife and his reason for being. She navigates many challenges while also anchoring Baruchel’s quirky humor. Dan Bakkedahl is always hilarious, but as the money man when it comes to the stunt, he starts off smooth and Carter’s pal. As the film progresses, we see new sides of him, and it was nice to be able to take him seriously. Everyone really had their moments.
“The Stunt Driver was a very pleasant surprise at TIFF 2026.”
Some of the best comedy in The Stunt Driver happens between Ken Carter and Evel Kinieval, played by Ben Foster. It took me a while to place his face, but Baruchel and Foster play so well off of each other; it made for great comedy. It was apparent that a lot of those scenes were improvised.
When I talked to Baruchel about it, he and Dowse mentioned how well he and Foster connected, and how one of the lines in the film was completely improvised (and a bit odd) by Baruchel and Foster, without missing a beat, and played into it so well that it made the film. I sincerely hope we get to see some of what didn’t make it into The Stunt Driver. I imagine there is some gold in there.
The Stunt Driver was a very pleasant surprise at TIFF 2026. Though I knew I was going to see something that would relieve the tension away from films like The Man I Love or Closing Night, I really appreciated the real moments that brought depth to the characters and made me care about Ken Carter and his story. Now I just need to watch The Devil At Your Heels, the documentary this was made from.
