Speed (1994)
12-month trend
12-month trend
Monthly article views
2025-09 to 2026-08
The story
The plot centers on a city bus rigged by Howard Payne, an ex-cop turned vengeful extortionist, to explode if its speed drops below 50 miles per hour (80 km/h). LAPD officer Jack Traven is tasked with preventing the disaster, while a passenger, Annie Porter, becomes unexpectedly involved in the mission. As the bus races through traffic, the duo must find a way to keep the vehicle moving and manage the escalating danger posed by the ticking bomb and the extortionist's demands.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After a bomb on a city elevator is averted, a vengeful ex-cop named Howard Payne rigs a city bus to explode if it drops below 50 mph. LAPD officer Jack Traven and a passenger, Annie Porter, must keep the bus moving through Los Angeles traffic. The plot follows their struggle against the bomb, various obstacles, and Payne's surveillance. After a series of dangerous maneuvers, including a jump onto a freeway and a confrontation at a train station, Jack eventually faces Payne on a train. Payne is incapacitated, and Jack manages to get the bus to a safe stop on Hollywood Boulevard.
- First release year
- 1994
- Runtime (minutes)
- 116
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Jan de Bont
- Writers
- Graham Yost · writer
- Cast and characters
- Keanu Reeves · Jack Traven; Dennis Hopper · Howard Payne; Sandra Bullock · Annie Porter; Joe Morton; Jeff Daniels
- Genres
- action; thriller
- Themes
- survival; urgency
- Tone and mood
- tense; energetic
- Premise and plot tags
- bomb; bus; police; action
- Reception
- The film was well received and earned critical acclaim, being described as a 'terrific popcorn thriller' that was 'taut, tense, and energetic.'
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 95% · scale: percentage · review count: 78; Metacritic · score: 78 · scale: 100 · review count: 17
- Awards and nominations
- Best Sound · Academy Awards · 67th · win; Best Sound · British Academy Film Awards · 48th · win; Best Editing · British Academy Film Awards · 48th · win
- Production trivia
- The film's title was originally 'Minimum Speed'.; The bus jump scene was filmed in one take.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
Your lists
Loading your lists…