‘Speed Demon’ Derails Quickly

When I received word of a new film called Speed Demon starring “Arrow” alum Katie Cassidy (“Laurel Lance/Black Canary”) and William H. Macy (“Shameless,” Fargo), I immediately assumed it’d be a period piece based on its synopsis:

“In Speed Demon, when Father Novak and Sister Lu board a train from Montreal to New York City, they weren’t prepared for the danger and evil that would pursue them. After the train is taken over by the demon Asmodeus, Father Novak and Sister Lu must battle possessed passengers on a runaway train with Sister Lu forced to overcome her faltering faith and perform the first exorcism done by a nun.”  

Much to my surprise, Speed Demon is not a period piece; it’s set in relatively modern times. After a brief flashback of young Sister Lu’s experience with a possessed father, the movie rockets to the present day. The film starts strong, with a tracking shot of Sister Lu (Cassidy) waking up after a drug-fueled orgy with nameless subjects, dressing in her habit and heading to the train station to meet Father Novak. You are assured right away that she is not your average nun, and this won’t be your average possession story.

We then meet a seemingly normal dude leaving yet another one night stand with a beguiling French-Canadian woman who gives him a parting gift of an ornate case. It contains a totem that holds a demon, which he begrudgingly trudges up to being a “bad lay.” Now that you know the “logic” of this film, let’s dive into the characters, shall we?

Speed Demon does make good use of its characters aboard the train to string some semblance of a film together. Standing out is actress Sari Arambulo, who shined in SHUDDER’s Bloody Axe Wound in 2024. As Sister Lu nurtures relationships with her cabin-mates, we get some stakes in this high-speed adventure.

The execution of the film, however, leaves something to be desired. This is a film that will be accepted by only the most dedicated horror hounds – the ones who watch everything that even marginally adheres to the genre. William H. Macy is thoroughly underutilized and the production, despite some unnerving sound design, doesn’t really capture the menace the demon is meant to present. Cassidy does her best with the character the script has offered her, and according to the film’s ending, we might see more of Sister Lu. (Think along the lines of the end of Wrath of Becky and you’re heading in the right direction.) However, if we never saw Van Helsing again after Hugh Jackman’s wasted charm in the 2004 dud, what hope does Sister Lu truly have?

I was drawn to watch the film thanks to the opportunity to speak with Cassidy, daughter of the famed Partridge David Cassidy and standout star of “Arrow.” While her character dies in season 4 (oops, spoiler), the showrunners kept bringing her back as doppelganger Black Siren from an alternate dimension, a villain who eventually finds redemption. Speaking with Cassidy was a delight, and I of course had to get into the character that embedded her into the hearts of nerds around the world, especially those of us here at Nerd Initiative.

Speed Demon releases in theaters, on demand, and digital on Sunday, May 31st. I imagine it will quickly leave our collective subconscious, as its name suggests.

How about you? Does Speed Demon do anything for you, or would you watch it just to see Cassidy back in action? Sound off below and come back here regularly for all your movie, streaming, and comic book news!