The Stunt Man is a bravura piece of moviemaking — a true popular work of modernist art. It makes the audience experience the uncertainty of the contemporary world in a visceral, often hilarious way.
89
Austin Chronicle
Austin Chronicle
O'Toole plays his seductive, grand, and dangerous director part as if this might be the role he wants to be remembered for.
80
TV Guide Magazine
TV Guide Magazine
Lawrence B. Marcus's script, which pits real life against reel life, offers plenty of wit, with most of the bons mots handed to O'Toole.
80
The A.V. ClubNoel Murray
The A.V. ClubNoel Murray
The Stunt Man still thrills as a witty, sly, action-packed mind game.
75
Film Threat
Film Threat
Subtle, neurotic and multi-layered, every scene in The Stunt Man is about multiple things at once. Paranoia, obviously, but also the stress of filmmaking and simply living.
70
Chicago ReaderDave Kehr
Chicago ReaderDave Kehr
Pretentious, overenergized, muddled, intellectually bogus, and very entertaining for it.
O’Toole is excellent in his best, cleanest performance in years. He smashingly delineates an omnipotent, godlike type whose total control over those around him makes him seem almost unreal.
50
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
A film that depends on deceiving us has got to play by its own rules. If we are going to be deceived in general, fine, but then we can't be cheated on particulars.
50
Time Out
Time Out
A movie filled with gags and excellent stunts which remains curiously humourless at heart. Stunted, not stunning.