The date is June 10th, 1994. Bill Clinton is midway through his first term as president. All-4-One’s single “I Swear” is number one on the billboards. And on this Friday, 20th Century Fox releases a little movie about a boy, a girl, a bus, and a bomb: Speed.
Grossing more than ten times its $30 million budget, Speed became a box office juggernaut that cemented Keanu Reeves as an action star, and helped establish co-star Sandra Bullock as a household name. As far as flash-in-the-pan hits go, 20th Century Fox couldn’t have asked for anything better.
That an execrable sequel (Speed 2: Cruise Control) would drop three years later from the same director would suggest that Speed was merely a fluke. But in the two decades since its release, few action movies can rival Speed for the cleverness of its premise, the execution of its setpieces, and the relentlessness of its.
Thanks to the terrific cast and practical effects, Speed is still as fun to watch today as it was in 1994.
As it celebrates its own 21st birthday, here’s one moment for each year of Speed that illustrates why it’s one for the ages.
And remember: never drink and drive, but feel free to enjoy a recommended sip while watching Speed hurtle from one amazing moment to the next.