Speed
Movie, 1994, 1993–1995, Set in Los Angeles
Speed is #10 of 26 in release order and #8 of 26 in chronological order in the '90s Action.
The story
Tensions run high when a crazed bomber rigs a Los Angeles bus with a device that will kill everyone on board if the vehicle's speed dips below fifty miles per hour.
Speed recap
LAPD SWAT officer Jack Traven and his partner Harry save people trapped in an elevator by the bomber Howard Payne, a retired cop who wants a ransom. A week later Payne blows up a bus and calls Jack: another bus has a bomb that will arm once it passes 50 miles per hour and explode if it drops below 50. Jack gets aboard, the driver is shot by a passenger, and Annie, a passenger, takes the wheel. The bus jumps a gap in an unfinished freeway. Harry tracks Payne to his house and is killed by a booby trap. Jack has the passengers evacuated at the airport, and he and Annie escape out of the bottom as the bus explodes.
Speed ending explained
Payne has been watching through a camera on the bus, so he knows he was cheated. He takes Annie hostage with the ransom and boards a subway train. Jack chases them, fights Payne on the roof of the train, and Payne is decapitated by a signal light. The train derails onto Hollywood Boulevard, and Jack and Annie kiss among the onlookers. Speed 2 follows, without Jack.
Post-credits scenes
No. There is no post-credits scene.
Where to watch Speed
Speed is streaming on Netflix and YouTube TV in the US. You can rent or buy it on Amazon, Apple TV, and Google Play.
Ratings
IMDb 7.3/10, Rotten Tomatoes 95%
Where it fits
- Release order: after Demolition Man, before True Lies.
- Chronological order: after The Fugitive, before True Lies.
Cast
- Keanu Reeves as Jack Traven
- Dennis Hopper as Howard Payne
- Sandra Bullock as Annie
- Joe Morton as Capt. McMahon
- Jeff Daniels as Harry
- Alan Ruck as Stephens
- Glenn Plummer as Jaguar Owner
- Richard Lineback as Norwood
- Beth Grant as Helen
- Hawthorne James as Sam
- Carlos Carrasco as Ortiz
- David Kriegel as Terry
Directed by Jan de Bont.