Bullet Points: Exit Speed
How many times have you been suckered by an awesome movie cover? Growing up in the VHS Generation, I experienced this phenomenon numerous times. This brings me to Exit Speed. A movie with a very generic poster. It looks like something made using Photoshop. I had zero expectations when I watched. I even wondered if I would turn it off early and call it a night. Stick with me, I think you might be surprised with what I have to say.
- The Plot: It is Christmas Eve. 10 strangers take a bus to Somewhere Texas, USA. Among them are a Dead Beat Dad, a Soldier on the run from the law, a slightly husky Perfume Salesman, a Football Coach with a temper, an Hombre that speaks no English, a Horny Couple who like to bang in the bus bathroom, a Single Mom, a College Girl and a Vegan who is handy with a bow. The bus runs into trouble when a Nomadic Biker Gang causes the bus to crash. The passengers are forced to join forces and try to survive the night. Pretty much, Exit Speed is Rio Bravo meets Ghost of Mars meets Assault on Precinct 13 meets Biker Boyz meets Magic School Bus. The most recognizable faces are Fred Ward as the Military Cop chasing the Solider, and Lea Thompson as the Single Mom. You might recognize the Dead Beat Dad from Wrong Turn or the Coach from Blue Bloods. Exit Turn’s cast isn’t all star caliber, but perhaps, this is not a bad thing.
- The Biker Gang: No lie, this gang might be some of the scariest baddies ever seen on film. They do bike tricks like they are extras from RAD, they smoke meth 24 / 7, some even wear Santa hats and none of them speak a word throughout the film. The silent but deadly villains bring a creepy horror terror element to Exit Speed.
- Our Heroes: Talk about a rag tag group. There’s no way this group can survive. However, looks can be deceiving. The Soldier is this badass chic who is handy with a shotgun. The Hombre is the Hispanic MacGyver. The Dead Beat Dad is trying to make things right and is actually a decent fella. The Vegan is a crackerjack sharpshooter with a bow who just happened to bring her bow with her on the bus. The Single Mom is a marathon runner. A couple of aspects to point out: Most of the female characters are very strong. They hold their own. This guy who wears reindeer ears throughout the film is not the sharpest actor I have ever seen. I do not know if he was trying to act that awful, or that is what you get with him. Also, some of the dialogue is cringeworthy to say the least. However, do not let some shady supporting acting and a few lines of dialogue get in the way of you enjoying Exit Speed. It got to a point in Exit Speed where I did not want to see any more good guys die. I became attached to these people pretty quickly.
- Headshots & Action: We might have a record for headshot precision in Exit Speed. It seems like every person not killed with a bow is shot between the eyes. The action gets going towards the climatic finale. I think the readers of Bulletproof Action will be satisfied with the ending. I really liked the ending. It is and is not what I expected, and I think that’s a cool thing.
- Wrapping it up: I found Exit Speed on accident, and I could not be any happier. It is currently streaming on Amazon Prime. I ask you to give it a chance. I want you to understand it does not have the biggest budget, but hot dog damn did they get every penny out of the cast. Definitely, Exit Speed is a hidden gem hiding in plain sight.
Bonus Bullet Points…
- Directed by: Scott Ziehl, the same fella who brought us Road House 2: Last Call and Cruel Intentions 3.
- Ronnie: Look for David Rees Snell aka Ronnie from The Shield as the Bus Driver.
- Threesome: No, we do not have a threesome in Exit Turn, but in my mind, if there was a sequel, it might start out with some Wild Things action.
