Exit Speed (2009)

Sabbatical Pictures

Peacock Films

R4

Reviewer: Bob Estreich

A bus cruises along a lonely Texas highway. A group of nomad Bikers harass the bus and one of the bikers is run over. The others set out for revenge. The bus pulls off the highway onto a side road and crashes in an old junk yard. The ten passengers must now fight for their lives.

“Nomad” bikers live in small groups. They pillage and terrorize an area, taking what they want, then move on.

From here the story is survival against the odds. Although each passenger has strengths they also have weaknesses they must overcome if they are to get through the next day. There is the bow-and-arrow markswoman – hers is a useful weapon, but she won’t use it to take a life. The disgraced sports coach has a gun he took from the body of the biker, but he can’t shoot straight and won’t give the gun up to the Army deserter, who can. There is the little old Mexican gentleman who appears harmless but is building a “spud gun” that can throw Molotov cocktails in among the bikers.

The bikers have called for reinforcements but for the passengers there can be no relief until the bus is reported overdue the next day. Until then they must live on their wits and abilities. There is attrition on both sides. Finally the passengers must go on the offensive.

The plot is fairly conventional and we have seen similar films before, but overall the film is extremely well-done. The script is believable, the acting is good and there is as much action as you could want. The personalities of the passengers develop to the point that they are no longer just anonymous faces and the friendships and loyalties that form seem right under the circumstances. Even the parasitic nomad bikers are better than average. Some of the scenes are quite bloody so be warned.

If a few of the actors and actresses look familiar it is because you have seen them before in minor roles. Now they get a chance to show what they can do, and they don’t let us down. Good acting more than makes up for the ordinary plot.

If you just want ninety minutes of mayhem, this is a film I can recommend.

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