Speed (1994)

Speed (1994) is a high-octane action thriller about LAPD SWAT officer Jack Traven who must stop a vengeful bomber, Howard Payne, after Payne rigs a city bus with an explosive that will detonate if the vehicle drops below 50 mph. When Jack boards the bus to try to save the passengers, an injured driver forces quick-thinking passenger Annie Porter behind the wheel, and Jack, Annie and his partner Harry Temple race against time and dwindling options to keep the bus moving, trace the bomber and find a way to disarm the device. Watching Speed is a taut, relentless ride: rapid-fire set pieces, inventive stunts and escalating tension keep the film pulsing from start to finish. You’ll get edge-of-your-seat suspense during the freeway sequences, moments of gallows humor and banter between characters, and genuine emotional stakes as ordinary commuters become unlikely heroes. It’s fast, physically grounded action — a Sunday-morning adrenaline rush that mixes clever thrills with charismatic performances and practical effects that hold up as a model of ’90s blockbuster filmmaking. If you like breathless pacing and nerve-jangling scenarios where the clock is always running out, this film delivers.

Actors: Keanu Reeves, Dennis Hopper, Sandra Bullock

Director: Jan de Bont

Runtime: 116 min

Genres: Action, Adventure, Thriller

5.9 /10 78 /100 7.3 /10 7.0 /10