The Stunt Driver ends with Ken Carter barred from his own jump while substitute driver Kenny Powers takes the rocket car and crashes into the river after 506 feet. The story follows Carter's mid-1970s drive to launch a rocket-powered Lincoln Continental across the St. Lawrence River from Canada to the United States. Wikipedia describes the film in its film profile as a 2026 Canadian historical comedy written and directed by Michael Dowse, starring Jay Baruchel as real-life daredevil Ken Carter, "The Mad Canadian." The river jump gives Carter a shot at fame and one last payday, but control slips away before launch.
Table of Contents
- What is Carter trying to do?
- Who shapes his final run?
- How do the final scenes play out?
- What stays true after the crash?
- Frequently Asked Questions
What is Carter trying to do?
Carter wants to fly a rocket-powered Lincoln Continental over a mile-wide stretch of the St. Lawrence River. The Charlotte Film Festival synopsis in its festival listing frames it as an obsessive mid-1970s quest from Canada to the U.S.
Fame and a final payday drive him forward. The distance makes the plan extreme even by stunt standards. A car must leave a ramp, stay intact in flight, and land across the water. Carter treats the crossing as his signature stunt and identity.
Who shapes his final run?
Inventor Dick Keller, played by Ed Helms, builds and troubleshoots the rocket system. Rival Evel Knievel, played by Ben Foster, enters as an adviser and challenger. Wife Gloria, played by Laurence Leboeuf, supports Carter while testing the cost of his obsession.
Keller worries about engineering limits and timing. Knievel brings showmanship and hard judgment about risk. Gloria keeps the human price visible as money, pride, and danger collide.
How do the final scenes play out?
Backers secretly replace Carter with American Kenny Powers for the launch. Wikipedia's Ken Carter history in its stunt record records the true 1979 outcome behind the scene: the car flew only 506 feet, broke apart in flight, and crash-landed in water.
The sequence moves fast on screen: The injuries end Carter's dream of performing the jump himself. The river keeps the car, and the show moves on without its star.
- Powers straps in while Carter loses his place in the stunt
- The rocket car lifts off, breaks up, and falls short over water
- Powers survives with eight broken vertebrae, three broken ribs, and a fractured wrist
- Carter watches his signature stunt end without him driving
What stays true after the crash?
The real Carter did not die on the river. Moviefone's biography in its performer biography records that he was killed instantly on Sept. 5, 1983 at Peterborough, Ontario.
That later crash involved a rocket-assisted 1982 Pontiac Firebird overshooting a pond landing ramp. The car landed on its roof. The film compresses history and intercuts archival footage, so viewers gain most by watching the finale beside the NFB documentary The Devil at Your Heels.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is The Stunt Driver and what is its rating?
It runs 1 hr 39 min and carries an R rating.
Where did the film first appear and when did it reach theaters?
It premiered at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 11, 2026, then opened theatrically Sept. 25, 2026.