There’s certainly a sense of familiarity about Netflix’s upcoming thriller movie, “Bullet Train Explosion.” Set on a high-speed train snaking through Japan, it follows a group of passengers trapped in a deadly situation when an explosive is discovered onboard, and this bomb will trigger if the locomotive goes below a certain speed.
Stop me if you’ve heard this one…
Anyone familiar with the action flick “Speed” will feel a sense of déjà vu right now. In that movie, Keanu Reeves plays a cop trying to prevent a catastrophe when an L.A. bus is rigged to explode should it drop below 50 miles per hour.
I don’t think it’s too preposterous to suggest the writers of this new Netflix thriller movie may have watched "Speed" before penning this film.
This new high-speed offering is directed by Shinji Higuchi, co-director of 2016’s “Shin Godzilla,” and Netflix has just released the first trailer which you can watch below. Based on this very short teaser, it looks to be a wild ride packing plenty of adrenaline and maybe even an unexpected twist or two.
'Bullet Train Explosion' on Netflix — here’s what we know
The trailer offers a pretty good insight into the movie’s core setup. Arguably it offers a little too much insight, some viewers are accusing the teaser of spoiling a major plot point as it directly hints towards the train's final fate.
At the same time as this first look, Netflix has also released an official logline, which gives an idea of the main plot:
“A tense phone call came into the Shinkansen General Operation Control Center. The caller claims that a bomb has been planted on the Hayabusa No. 60 bound for Tokyo and that the bomb will explode as soon as the speed of the Shinkansen train drops below 100 km/h. The caller demands 100 billion yen in ransom money to disarm the bomb. The last-minute battle unfolds as the crew, passengers, and railroad workers strive to prevent the explosion within the limited time available."
It’s also been confirmed the movie was filmed with “special cooperation” from the East Japan Railway Company, which allowed the production crew to use real bullet trains and railway facilities. This should give the movie a greater sense of authenticity.
Tsuyoshi Kusanagi will play the conductor at the center of the chaos who must attempt to calm passengers and also work with the authorities to defuse the bomb before the train reaches Tokyo. The cast for “Bullet Train Explosion” also includes Kanata Hosoda, Non, Machiko Ono, Jun Kaname, Hana Toyoshim and Takumi Saitoh.
While “Speed” is an obvious point of comparison, the Japanese movie is actually a remake, not of the Keanu Reeves action flick but of “The Bullet Train.” This 1975 action-thriller was distributed by the legendary Toei Company and served as partial inspiration for “Speed.” So, in a roundabout way, “Bullet Train Explosion” and “Speed” are (very loosely) linked.
If the movie’s first trailer has caught your attention, the good news is that you won’t have to wait long to stream it. “Bullet Train Explosion” is set to debut on Netflix on April 23. 2025. And in the meantime, here’s a guide to the best movies in the current Netflix top 10.
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