# Speed Demon (2026 film)
**Speed Demon** is a 2026 American horror film directed by Jon Keeyes and written by Domenico Salvaggio, in which a faithless nun must perform her first exorcism aboard a runaway high-speed train possessed by the demon Asmodeus. It stars [Katie Cassidy](https://www.edgepedia.org/katie-cassidy) as Sister Lu and [William H. Macy](https://www.edgepedia.org/william-h-macy) as Father Novak, and was released in the United States on May 31, 2026 in limited theaters and on demand.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/speed_demon_2026)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Director / writer | Jon Keeyes; screenplay by Domenico Salvaggio[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/speed_demon_2026) |
| Lead cast | Katie Cassidy as Sister Lu, William H. Macy as Father Novak, John Patrick Jordan as Gabriel[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/speed_demon_2026) |
| US release | May 31, 2026, limited theatrical and streaming/VOD, by Maverick Film and Complex Corp[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/speed_demon_2026) |
| Production | Triumphant Pictures and Rainmaker Films; Katie Cassidy also a producer[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/speed_demon_2026) |
| Runtime | Reported as 1h 36m by Rotten Tomatoes and Fandango, 1h 33m by Bloody Disgusting and JustWatch, and 1h 32m by IMDb[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/speed_demon_2026) • [2](https://bloody-disgusting.com/db/film/speed-demon-2026) • [3](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt34386603/) |
| Critical score | 64% on the Tomatometer from 11 reviews (7 fresh, 4 rotten), average 5.30/10[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/speed_demon_2026) |
| Audience score | 3.4/10 on IMDb from about 582 votes[3](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt34386603/) |
| Box office | Worldwide gross reported as $24,420 by The Numbers and $19,807 by IMDb, against an estimated $2,000,000 budget[4](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Speed-Demon-%282026%29) • [3](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt34386603/) |
## Spoilers
### Premise
Father Novak and Sister Lu board a train from Montreal to New York City. The train is taken over by the demon Asmodeus, and the two must battle possessed passengers on a runaway train while Sister Lu, whose faith has faltered, is forced to perform the first exorcism done by a nun.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/speed_demon_2026) Apple TV's synopsis gives the character's full name as Sister Lucrezia and describes passengers uniting under her leadership as the death toll rises.[5](https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/speed-demon/umc.cmc.6kgwxa91bwpwjrnj7ldipn52r)
Reviewers describe the setup as a combination of the runaway-train thriller *Speed* and possession horror in the tradition of *The Exorcist*. In the film's telling, an archaeologist travels with a cursed statue of the demon king Asmodeus, who escapes his inanimate prison and takes control of the speeding train.[6](https://bloody-disgusting.com/movie/3952728/speed-demon-review-exorcism-on-a-train/) Sister Lu is written as a hard-drinking nun confronting a substance abuse problem and a haunting connection to the demon tormenting the train.[6](https://bloody-disgusting.com/movie/3952728/speed-demon-review-exorcism-on-a-train/) • [7](https://www.screamhorrormag.com/train-ride-to-hell-speed-demon-director-jon-keeyes-and-actress-katie-cassidy-talk-speed-demon/)
## Production
The film was shot in the United States; The Numbers places filming in New Jersey, while IMDb lists New York.[4](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Speed-Demon-%282026%29) • [3](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt34386603/) An industry production listing and the VFX Callsheet database record shooting from November 1 to December 23, 2024, with pre-production beginning November 2, 2024.[8](https://www.vfxcallsheet.com/portal/speed-demon)
Director Jon Keeyes, whose earlier credits include *[Cult Killer](https://www.edgepedia.org/cult-killer)*, said the script's blend of genres, a horror film with nuns, priests, possession, comedy, and flawed characters on an action-filled runaway train, was what drew him to the project.[9](https://cinemalogue.com/2026/05/22/capsule-reviews-for-may-22-3/) • [7](https://www.screamhorrormag.com/train-ride-to-hell-speed-demon-director-jon-keeyes-and-actress-katie-cassidy-talk-speed-demon/) In interviews with Bleeding Cool and Scream magazine, Keeyes and Cassidy discussed balancing practical effects with visual effects to bring Asmodeus to life, and described the story's feminist premise of a nun leading an exorcism, a rite the film presents as traditionally reserved for male priests.[10](https://bleedingcool.com/movies/speed-demon-dir-keeyes-cassidy-on-supernatural-survival-horror-film/) • [7](https://www.screamhorrormag.com/train-ride-to-hell-speed-demon-director-jon-keeyes-and-actress-katie-cassidy-talk-speed-demon/) Cassidy also served as one of the film's producers alongside Cecil Chambers and Vanessa Coifman.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/speed_demon_2026)
## Release
Speed Demon opened in Philippine cinemas on May 20, 2026, and reached the United States on May 31, 2026, in limited theaters and simultaneously on demand and digital.[11](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt34386603/releaseinfo/) • [6](https://bloody-disgusting.com/movie/3952728/speed-demon-review-exorcism-on-a-train/) The Associated Press listed it among May 2026 releases as a VOD title from Maverick Film and Complex Corp.[12](https://apnews.com/article/4fb04771bfe1b29a113044382f5a3de6) Later international releases included a limited run in Russia (CIS) on October 1, 2026, under the title Демон скорости, and a limited release in Mexico on December 17, 2026.[4](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Speed-Demon-%282026%29) The film carries the tagline "The end of the line is near."[2](https://bloody-disgusting.com/db/film/speed-demon-2026)
## Reception
Critical response was mixed. On Rotten Tomatoes the film holds a 64% Tomatometer from 11 reviews, with 7 fresh and 4 rotten and an average rating of 5.30/10.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/speed_demon_2026) Audience response was far more negative: IMDb users gave it 3.4/10 from about 582 votes.[3](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt34386603/)
**Critics' views.** Mikkel Frederiksen of Film Threat scored it 7/10, writing that the film "doesn't ask a lot from you except that you come along for the ride."[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/speed_demon_2026) Abbie Bernstein of Assignment X and Rick Bentley of KGET-TV both gave it a B-, with Bernstein noting goofs such as a character saying "concentrate" for "consecrate" while judging that its heart is in the right place.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/speed_demon_2026) Nathaniel Muir of AIPT called its epilogue, which hints at a secret group controlled by the Vatican, one of the best endings of the year.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/speed_demon_2026) Todd Jorgenson of Cinemalogue found it amusing at first but rarely frightening enough to generate meaningful suspense.[9](https://cinemalogue.com/2026/05/22/capsule-reviews-for-may-22-3/)
Recurring points of praise were Macy's performance as the jaded exorcist and the film's polished photography, while common criticisms targeted the tame tone, familiar exorcism tropes, and a depiction of church doctrine that reviewers found inaccurate.[6](https://bloody-disgusting.com/movie/3952728/speed-demon-review-exorcism-on-a-train/) Luiz H. C. of Bloody Disgusting rated it 3 out of 5 skulls, arguing that the last fifteen minutes commit to an absurdity the rest of the film avoids.[6](https://bloody-disgusting.com/movie/3952728/speed-demon-review-exorcism-on-a-train/) A review at Religion Unplugged criticized the film's theology as thin and its religious deconstruction as stale.[13](https://religionunplugged.squarespace.com/news/movie-review-speed-demon-is-religious-horror-deconstruction-slop)
**Commercial performance.** The Numbers records a worldwide theatrical gross of $24,420, all from the Russia (CIS) release, with no domestic box office reported; IMDb lists a worldwide gross of $19,807 against an estimated $2,000,000 budget.[4](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Speed-Demon-%282026%29) • [3](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt34386603/) The film's primary distribution was digital: it became available to rent or buy on Amazon Video, Apple TV, Fandango at Home, and other platforms, and later streamed free with ads on Hoopla.[14](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/speed-demon-2026)
In interviews after release, Keeyes and Cassidy discussed plans for sequels and a television series pitch built on the film's ending.[10](https://bleedingcool.com/movies/speed-demon-dir-keeyes-cassidy-on-supernatural-survival-horror-film/)
## References
1. [Speed Demon (2026) | Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/speed_demon_2026)
2. [Speed Demon (2026) Cast, Reviews & Where to Watch | BD Horror DB, Bloody Disgusting](https://bloody-disgusting.com/db/film/speed-demon-2026)
3. [Speed Demon (2026) - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt34386603/)
4. [Speed Demon (2026) - Box Office and Financial Information, The Numbers](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Speed-Demon-%282026%29)
5. [Speed Demon - Apple TV (US)](https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/speed-demon/umc.cmc.6kgwxa91bwpwjrnj7ldipn52r)
6. ['Speed Demon' Review - Exorcism on a Train, Bloody Disgusting (May 26, 2026)](https://bloody-disgusting.com/movie/3952728/speed-demon-review-exorcism-on-a-train/)
7. [TRAIN RIDE TO HELL: Speed Demon Director Jon Keeyes and Actress Katie Cassidy talk Speed Demon, Scream Horror Magazine (June 12, 2026)](https://www.screamhorrormag.com/train-ride-to-hell-speed-demon-director-jon-keeyes-and-actress-katie-cassidy-talk-speed-demon/)
8. [Speed Demon | VFX Callsheet](https://www.vfxcallsheet.com/portal/speed-demon)
9. [Capsule reviews for May 22, Cinemalogue (May 22, 2026)](https://cinemalogue.com/2026/05/22/capsule-reviews-for-may-22-3/)
10. [Speed Demon: Dir Keeyes, Cassidy on Supernatural Survival Horror Film, Bleeding Cool (June 14, 2026)](https://bleedingcool.com/movies/speed-demon-dir-keeyes-cassidy-on-supernatural-survival-horror-film/)
11. [Speed Demon (2026) - Release info, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt34386603/releaseinfo/)
12. [Summer Movie Guide 2026, The Associated Press (April 27, 2026)](https://apnews.com/article/4fb04771bfe1b29a113044382f5a3de6)
13. [Theology Thin As A Communion Wafer: Why 'Speed Demon' Is Horror Deconstruction Slop, Religion Unplugged](https://religionunplugged.squarespace.com/news/movie-review-speed-demon-is-religious-horror-deconstruction-slop)
14. [Speed Demon streaming: where to watch online?, JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/speed-demon-2026)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Horror films (individual works) › Religious and demonic horror films*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license