Stunt performers are some of the most under-appreciated artists in Hollywood, risking life and limb for our entertainment on a daily basis. Even with improvements in safety measures, it’s still an incredibly dangerous job that can quickly go horribly wrong, even on big-budget franchises like “Harry Potter.” It’s why we here at /Film continue to campaign relentlessly for the Academy to finally add an Oscar for stunt work and why a doc like “David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived” is all the more meaningful, shining a light on one such stunt performer whose life changed forever on what should’ve been just another day doing his favorite job in the world.
Directed by Dan Hartley and executive produced by Daniel Radcliffe, “The Boy Who Lived” features “candid personal footage shot over the last decade, behind-the-scenes material from Holmes’ stunt work, scenes of his current life and intimate interviews with David, Daniel Radcliffe, friends, family, and former crew,” pers its official synopsis. By exploring Holmes’ life both before and after his accident, the film aims to examine “universal themes of living with adversity, growing up, forging identities in an uncertain world, and the bonds that bind us together and lift us up.” If that doesn’t sound like a story worth telling, then I don’t know what does.
“David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived” will debut Wednesday, November 15, 2023, at 9 pm ET/PT on HBO and will also become available to stream on Max.
