Speed Demon: horror film, The Nun, The Demon, and the 5:42 to Doomsville (trailer).
If there’s one thing horror cinema has taught us, it’s that demons have a strong preference for enclosed spaces. Houses, ships, elevators, the odd antique wardrobe. Now, in a move that suggests Beelzebub has finally discovered public transport, the possession genre boards a high-speed train and refuses to buy a return ticket.
The Nun on the Runaway Train (and no, not that 2003 one you’re thinking of, put the DVD back down) arrives with a premise that feels like someone fed Speed, The Exorcist, and a late-night rail replacement bus service into a blender and hit “liquefy.”
The setup is elegantly bonkers. A high-speed train barrels from Montreal to New York, presumably with the usual onboard amenities: cramped legroom, overpriced snacks, and one ancient demon intent on catastrophic derailment. Enter Sister Lu, played by Katie Cassidy, a nun whose faith has seen better days, possibly left behind at the previous station along with her luggage. Opposite her stands the ever-reliable William H. Macy as Father Novak, who looks like he’s been dragged into this mess against his better judgement and possibly his union contract.
Naturally, things escalate. The demon Asmodeus decides that simply possessing one passenger isn’t nearly theatrical enough and begins turning the train into a rolling haunted house with better scenery. Doors slam, eyes glow, and somewhere in the background a ticket inspector quietly reconsiders their life choices.
The real hook here is Sister Lu’s crisis of faith. Horror has always loved a good theological wobble, but this time the burden falls squarely on someone who isn’t entirely convinced the job description still applies. Performing an exorcism is tricky enough when you’re brimming with divine confidence. Doing it when your belief system is held together with metaphorical duct tape? That’s like trying to reboot a possessed laptop while questioning whether electricity exists.
Director Jon Keeyes leans into the claustrophobia, turning each carriage into a fresh little nightmare. One moment you’re in a dimly lit sleeper car, the next you’re trapped between a possessed commuter and a very unhelpful luggage rack. Writer Domenico Salvaggio clearly understands that trains are already mildly stressful at the best of times. Add a demon with a flair for theatrics, and suddenly delays are the least of your worries.
The supporting cast, including John Patrick Jordan and Sari Arambulo, fill out the unfortunate passenger list, which appears to function as a buffet for supernatural mischief. One suspects the safety announcement at the start should have included a warning about potential possession, but perhaps that’s buried in the small print.
Here at SFcrowsnest magazine, there’s a certain admiration for a film that knows exactly what it is: a gleefully over-the-top ride where theology meets throttle control. It’s horror as a kinetic event. No slow-burn creeping dread here. This thing is hurtling down the tracks at full tilt, clutching a crucifix and screaming.
Will Sister Lu rediscover her faith before the final stop? Will Father Novak get through the ordeal without needing a very long holiday and possibly a stiff drink? And most importantly, will anyone remember to apply the brakes?
Find out when it pulls into cinemas on May 31, 2026. Just don’t expect a quiet journey.
