Stunts

Directed by Mark L. Lester, Stunts follows stuntman Glen Wilson (Robert Forster) as he begins looking into the death of his brother, also a stuntman, on the set of an unnamed production. It’s clear, ultimately, that’s Stunts‘ downfall is due mostly to an episodic narrative that contains little in the way of forward momentum, as Lester, working from a script by Dennis Johnson, Barney Cohen, and Michael Harpster, delivers a hit-and-miss midsection comprised almost entirely of action-oriented set-pieces of varying effectiveness – with the general absence of character development making it more and more difficult to work up any real interest in or sympathy for the protagonist’s exploits. And although Lester has admittedly elicited a solid performance from star Forster, Stunts pervasively erratic atmosphere slowly-but-surely renders its positive attributes moot (although, in fairness, the movie does boast a handful of genuinely exciting interludes and compelling, smaller-scale moments, with, in terms of the latter, the picture’s highlight an engrossing scene wherein Glen has to pull the plug on an injured colleague). The over-the-top yet satisfying finale, which boasts impressive stuntwork, ensures that Stunts, at least, finishes on a decidedly engaging note, with the end result a perpetually uneven thriller that generally feels like it could (and should) have been so much better.

** out of ****