A Keanu Reeves classic is dominating streaming today.
Five years before The Matrix and decades before he played John Wick, Reeves starred in 1994’s Speed, which still ranks as one of the best examples of the action genre, with folks seeming to never tire of watching it. The Jan De Bont-directed flick is currently proving to be hugely popular on HBO Max, standing as the third most-viewed film on the platform this Friday after becoming available last weekend.
In case you’ve somehow missed it for the past 30 years, Speed stars Reeves as LAPD bomb disposal officer Jack Traven who’s on the hunt for a crazed bomber played by Dennis Hopper, leading to Traven having to stop a bus full of people from exploding. And if the bus drops below 50 miles per hour, everyone’s toast. Jeff Daniels co-stars as Traven’s partner with Sandra Bullock – in her breakout role – featuring opposite Reeves as a civilian passenger.
According to Rotten Tomatoes, Speed is about as perfect a movie as you can get, standing at a Certified Fresh rating of 94% on the review aggregate site. The critics consensus reads: “A terrific popcorn thriller, Speed is taut, tense, and energetic, with outstanding performances from Keanu Reeves, Dennis Hopper, and Sandra Bullock.” Let’s just all forget that the Reeves-less sequel, Speed 2: Cruise Control, ever happened, agreed? If you’re curious, that’s got only 4% on RT.
Maybe because of that disaster, Keanu Reeves has since decided to stick by his franchises. He’s set to return as Neo for the first time in nearly 20 years for The Matrix 4, which is due out this December, and has signed on to play John Wick at least two more times, with Chapter 4 coming in May 2022. In the meantime, feel free to join the countless subscribers watching Speed right now over on HBO Max.
