The Stunt Man

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The Stunt Man

R

1980

2h 9m

Mystery & Thriller

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

90%

Tomatometer

41 Reviews

73%

Popcornmeter

2,500+ Ratings

On the run from the police, Cameron (Steve Railsback) crashes the set of a Hollywood war movie. When he inadvertently causes a stunt man's death, the film's manipulative director, Eli Cross (Peter O'Toole), decides to shelter Cameron from the cops if he steps in as the daredevil's replacement. Though the arrangement seems like a good deal, it soon becomes a perilous position, with the situation only complicated when Cameron falls for the movie's lead actress, Nina Franklin (Barbara Hershey).

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Critics Consensus

The Stunt Man is a preposterously entertaining thriller with a clever narrative and Oscar-worthy (nomination, at least!) Peter O'Toole performance.

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Pauline Kael

The New Yorker

Working with material that could, with a few false steps, have turned into a tony reality-and-illusion puzzle, the director, Richard Rush, has kept it all light-headed and funny -- it’s slapstick metaphysics.

Sep 18, 2023

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Linda Deutsch

Associated Press

The Stunt Man is a brilliant feat of cinematic legerdemain, creating an illusory world in which nothing is what it seems.

Jan 29, 2019

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Dave Kehr

Chicago Reader

Pretentious, overenergized, muddled, intellectually bogus, and very entertaining for it.

Mar 13, 2015

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Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

...Richard Rush's The Stunt Man has the high physical production values of a Bond film, but directed towards an Inception-level puzzle that keeps the stakes high and the questions coming…a brilliant, challenging film that really should have been a hit…

Rated: 5/5

Nov 30, 2023

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Film Threat Staff

Film Threat

Subtle, neurotic and multi-layered, every scene in The Stunt Man is about multiple things at once.

Mar 7, 2021

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Nathan Rabin

The Dissolve

It's a carnivalesque lark whose brevity and gravity are both attributable to the remarkable, pitch-perfect performance of O'Toole...

Mar 7, 2021

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bob c

Not bad for an oldie but fades when the lead is on and lights up with O’Toole. Stunt action is great.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

11/13/25

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Vincent S.

A totally original winner with original dialogue and great acting.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/04/25

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Tim R

I'm a Peter O'Toole fan and saw this when it came out. He is terrific in it! It's original and very entertaining! But Steve Railsback practically ruins it with his dead eyes and horrible acting. He has one expression; insane.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

07/22/25

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Alain E

One of the mysteries is how this mediocrity enjoys that high ratings, even by Pauline Kael who was not easily pleased. There is a lot of histrionics if you believe that they reveal intense sentiments. The stunt man is portrayed as someone who is prone to intense violence. If a woman wants to stay with such a person, she will eventually end up in some morgue.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

04/21/25

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CodyZamboni Z

Quasi meta movie on movie making, So clever, at times brilliant , as movie toys with what's real, what's fake, and how morality suffers. One of O'Toole's best and most flamboyant roles, Barbara Hershey so appealling and attractive. Only drawback is Railsback in the lead, He's ok, but lacks charisma.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

12/21/24

Full Review

dave s

Despite a handful of flaws, Richard Rush's The Stunt Man remains a fiercely original and wildly entertaining movie. While actively evading police, fugitive Cameron (Steve Railsback) stumbles into the middle of a film shoot. In order to cover for the recent death of a stunt double, director Eli Cross (Peter O'Toole) convinces Cameron to impersonate the dead man and assume his role as a stunt man. Filled with twists and turns and more than a handful of precariously choreographed stunts, the movie never lets its foot off of the pedal. O'Toole gives what could be his finest late career performance as the maniacal director, while Barbara Hershey is solid as the love interest. On the downside, the unblinking and bug-eyed Railsback proves once again that he can't act, the catchy but repetitive score eventually grows tiresome, and the fact that none of the crew reported the death of the original stunt man seems highly improbable.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

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Richard Rush

Director

Peter O'Toole

Eli Cross

Steve Railsback

Cameron

Barbara Hershey

Nina Franklin

Allen Garfield

Sam

Alex Rocco

Police Chief Jake

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Synopsis

On the run from the police, Cameron (Steve Railsback) crashes the set of a Hollywood war movie. When he inadvertently causes a stunt man's death, the film's manipulative director, Eli Cross (Peter O'Toole), decides to shelter Cameron from the cops if he steps in as the daredevil's replacement. Though the arrangement seems like a good deal, it soon becomes a perilous position, with the situation only complicated when Cameron falls for the movie's lead actress, Nina Franklin (Barbara Hershey).

Director: Richard Rush
Producer: Richard Rush
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Production Co: 20th Century Fox
Rating: R
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 27, 1980, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 28, 2017
Runtime: 2h 9m

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