11. SPEED
Directed by Jan De Bont (1994)
We're gonna go ahead and pretend that the last third of Jan De Bont's stellar directorial debut doesn't exist. (Remember the bit on the runaway subway? See, you've been pretending the same thing for years.) This is a movie about a cop on a bus that'll blow if it goes less than 50 mph. Writer Graham Yost's Gordian knot of a screenplay keeps the pressure on as Keanu Reeves (who has never been better) tries to keep hope — and passengers — alive. It's the best of the Die Hard on a... films, and that's saying something.
JAN DE BONT: ''To me, the best action movies are always like, What would you do if you were in the same situation? Would you have the guts to take that step? How would it feel? I try to bring the audience just to the level that they might decide to take it.''
