Speed: Watch Keanu Reeves’ 95% Certified Fresh Classic While You Can

by

If you’re an HBO Max subscriber, you have until tomorrow to watch the popular 1990s action movie that made Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock famous. The film will no longer be available on the streaming service after February 1st, as it’s leaving after a year on the platform.

Speed is a fast-paced 1994 action movie directed by Jan de Bont. It stars Keanu Reeves as LAPD officer Jack Traven, Sandra Bullock as Annie Porter, and the late Dennis Hopper as Howard Payne, a dangerous criminal who uses explosives. Some have simply called the plot predictable, but that doesn’t fully capture how exciting and well-made Speed truly is.

It’s not just me saying this. Thirty-two years after its release, Speed remains incredibly popular, earning a 95% “Certified Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics agree it’s a fantastic, thrilling movie with excellent performances from all three main actors. Even the renowned critic Roger Ebert loved it, giving it four stars and describing it as wildly entertaining and exhilarating.

The movie’s plot is similar to Die Hard, but instead of taking place in a building, the action happens on moving vehicles. It follows Los Angeles police officer Jack Traven as he tries to stop Howard Payne, a criminal demanding a large ransom. Payne rigs an elevator in a skyscraper, and then escalates things by rigging a bus to explode if it slows down – a particularly dangerous situation in Los Angeles traffic. But that’s not all he has planned.

By 1994, Hopper was already a popular actor, but Speed was a turning point for Reeves. He was known, but the film proved he could lead an action movie alongside the biggest stars, bringing both energy and a great connection with Sandra Bullock.

Sandra Bullock first gained widespread recognition with her role in Speed. Although she prefers people forget about her film with Keanu Reeves, Speed clearly demonstrated her talent and helped launch her into a hugely successful period in Hollywood, leading to starring roles in popular movies like Miss Congeniality and The Blind Side.

Speed Is an Action Movie Classic

The movie Speed was a huge success with both audiences and critics, earning $350 million around the world despite only costing $30–37 million to make. This led 20th Century Fox to quickly approve a sequel, though Speed 2: Cruise Control isn’t nearly as well-regarded.

It’s been long enough that revisiting older properties is now common in Hollywood. After Disney bought 20th Century Fox (now 20th Century Studios), studio president Steve Asbell joked that they’d consider making a third Speed movie if they had a compelling reason, adding, “Hollywood is willing to take risks, and we are too – we’re open to the idea.”

He explained that Speed is one of the few films they haven’t revisited with a remake. To consider bringing it back, they’d need a truly compelling idea – one that Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves would be excited about. Their involvement would be key, as that’s what would draw audiences in. He emphasized that Speed is a significant film for the studio, and they wouldn’t pursue a remake unless it was done carefully and with the full participation of the original stars in developing the concept.

Speed is streaming on HBO Max until February 1.

Read More

2026-01-31 19:12