# Jay Baruchel drives a jump that never landed

> A period comedy about stuntman Ken Carter can't top the 1981 documentary it borrows from.
- Title: Jay Baruchel drives a jump that never landed · Variety
- Summary: A period comedy about stuntman Ken Carter can't top the 1981 documentary it borrows from. Faithful period detail is not a reason for a remake to exist.
- Keywords: film review, biopic, jay baruchel, stunts, documentary, entertainment, culture, Jay, Baruchel, drives, jump, never
- Source: Variety — https://variety.com/2026/film/reviews/the-stunt-driver-review-1236860383
- Author: Vadim Rizov
- Published: 2026-09-13T12:12:46+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: film review, biopic, jay baruchel, stunts, documentary, entertainment, culture
## Baruchel goes big
Jay Baruchel takes a showy lead role in "The Stunt Driver," reuniting with Michael Dowse, who directed him in "Goon."
## The man who missed
He plays Ken Carter, a real stunt driver remembered less for what he pulled off than for the jump he never completed.

> best remembered for a jump he didn't make
## A mile over the river
The stunt was a proposed mile-long leap across the St. Lawrence River in a rocket-powered car. Carter sank five years into it.
## Already on film
The 1981 documentary "The Devil At Your Heels" captured those five years. The new movie credits it as source material.
## Period detail lands
The technical work of the period recreation is genuinely impressive, from the look of the era to the craft behind it.
## No reason to exist
It never improves on the documentary and never finds its own purpose. The comedy is thinner than the real story was.

> this remake never finds its own reason to exist
## Key takeaway

Faithful period detail is not a reason for a remake to exist.