RATING: B+

Maverick Film presents a Triumphant Films production. Directed by Jon Keeyes. Produced by Katie Cassidy, Richard Switzer, Cecil Chambers, and Vanessa Coifman. Written by Domenico Salvaggio. Cinematography by Austin F. Schmidt. Edited by R.J. Cooper.

Stars Katie Cassidy, John Patrick Jordan, Sari Arambulo, Michael Emery, Sabrina Schlegel-Mejia, Onika Day, Sky Vaux Fuller, Jeremy Feight, and William H. Macy.

A nun must find her faith again to stop a demonic presence on board a high-speed train in this wild popcorn film that draws inspiration from a variety of classic genre films.

Sister Lu is a nun who has been a downward spiral. To the point where her drinking has led to actions resulting in lost faith, she meets Father Novak on a train heading from Montreal to New York City. Father Novak believes Sister Lu might not be able to be saved anymore. Both will soon learn Sister Lu’s issues are about to ramp up.

Gabriel, a passenger onboard, has his hands on a statue. When he accidentally pricks his hand on the statue, he is possessed by a demonic presence. As Father Novak and Sister Lu witness Gabriel’s possession, they realize that they are dealing with Asmodeus, a well-known demon. When Asmodeus decides to take control of the train and possess various passengers, including Father Novak, Sister Lu must restore her faith as she becomes the only one capable of performing an exorcism to stop the “speed demon”.

This horror popcorn film can be described as Bullet Train (the 1975 Japanese film, not the Brad Pitt-led action-comedy) meets Demons with a dash of The Exorcist, Candyman, and other genre favorites. Written by Domenico Salvaggio and directed by Jon Keeyes, this film has quite a surprising protagonist who has the “all hope is lost” mentality only to learn she must find what made her lose hope in hopes to save everyone onboard a “bullet train” if you will.

Katie Cassidy (who also serves as a producer) is excellent in the role of Sister Lu. We first see her in a seedy room with a complete stranger as she puts on her nun cloth. Issues with drinking and past trauma has resulted in her considering giving up the cloth. When confronted by Father Novak, played by an excellent William H. Macy, she goes as far as meets a few other passengers to have a drink. She even busts a passenger for stealing a wallet and this is before the chaos ensues.

In a nod to Lamberto Bava’s cult classic Demons, the trigger is a statue which results in passenger Gabriel, played by Jonn Patrick Jordan, pricking his finger on the statue. This soon learns to the chaos that ensues. One passenger pulls a Candyman in possessed mode and spits out a ton of insects out of their mouths. There’s plenty of chaos here that doesn’t rely heavily on gore, but the cast pull off some great moments here.

Speed Demon is a fun demonic possession popcorn flick that is driven by Katie Cassidy’s redemption arc character. Some great moments will have you yell certain films out! Give this film a chance!