Crash Land review: Jackass meets Hot Rod in a goofy, heartfelt debut

Crash Land, written and directed by Dempsey Byrk, follows a group of small-town friends who film Jackass-style stunts and decide to make a movie in tribute after the death of their friend Darby. The film opens with Darby's stunt—he shouts "Eat my ass, death!" and rides into a flaming tire—then dies from a brain aneurysm, not the stunt.

His family dismisses his videos, but his death pushes Lance to lean harder into stunts while Clay tries for a normal life at a grocery store. Lance (Gabriel LaBelle), Clay (Noah Parker), Sander (Finn Wolfhard) and Jemma (Abby Quinn) cobble together a directorial debut despite not knowing what makes a movie.

They want explosions, fantasy, and a girl in it; they even tape a photo of Darby onto other actors. Byrk leavens the silliness with warmth, often shooting with the grain of an outdated camera to make much of the film feel like the friends' own footage.

crash land, dempsey byrk, jackass, hot rod, stunts, gabriel labelle, finn wolfhard, abby quinn, directorial debut, small town