Hit new Netflix film racks up 23 million views to storm up charts

We might not even be halfway through the year, but Netflix has already given us some cracking movies in 2025. And one which has skipped the queue to speed up the viewing charts at the moment is Bullet Train Explosion - a high-octane thrillfest which has already been watched 23 million times since it dropped on to the streaming platform a fortnight ago. The Japanese actioner is not only the belated sequel to a 1975 movie but is also a must-watch for fans of a certain 90s blockbuster starring Keanu Reeves (Picture: Netflix/Everett/REX/Shutterstock)

Directed by Shinji Higuchi, Bullet Train Explosion comes 50 years after its predecessor The Bullet Train, and it expands on the premise of that movie. It's set aboard a Shinkansen (the bullet train of the title), which is Tokyo-bound and packed with passengers. Until a caller claims that a bomb has been planted on board the train, and if its speed drops below 100 kilometers per hour it will explode (Picture: Netflix/Everett/REX/Shutterstock)

With the mystery criminal demanding 100bn yen ($670m) to flip the switch and defuse the bomb, the tension ratchets up as the railway staff and the authorities have to work to prevent the device from detonating. Sound familiar? Well it might do if you've seen Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock's 1994 thriller Speed (Picture: Netflix/Everett/ REX/Shutterstock)

That movie has a very similar plot featuring a bomb on a bus that has to keep its speed above 50 miles per hour to avoid the device from blowing - leading viewers to point out the resemblance between the two films and even question whether or not the original Bullet Train inspired Speed (Picture: Netflix/Everett/REX/Shutterstock)

Those who have seen the film took to social media to make their views known, pointing out the similarities between the two films. Writing on X, HelpMeHekuta said: 'Wait is Bullet Train Explosion just Speed (1994) but Japanese???' Meanwhile ThePeterBriggs added: 'The most colossal "Speed" ripoff imaginable, mixed with "Silver Streak" and just about every Irwin Allen disaster movie. A bit long, but a lot of fun. Economical use of very good digital FX work - this must have cost Netflix peanuts' (Picture: Netflix/Everett/REX/Shutterstock)

Others have even gone so far to suggest that Bullet Train Explosion is a better sequel to Speed than its actual sequel Speed 2: Cruise Control. Screen Rant says: 'Having Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock appear in a Speed sequel set on a train would have been a lot of fun, with it being the logical way to raise the stakes of the original film. While Reeves and Bullock aren't in Bullet Train Explosion, the Netflix film is still a much better continuation of Speed than the film's proper sequel.' Despite all of the speculation however, screenwriter Graham Yost has said that Speed was inspired by the 1985 movie Runaway Train (Picture: Netflix)

Bullet Train Explosion has nabbed more than its fair share of decent reviews with a respectable 67% on Rotten Tomatoes. 'What makes “Bullet Train Explosion” so charming is that its creators don’t try to reinvent their chosen genre with this oversized, defiantly corny throwback,' RogerEbert.com wrote. Meanwhile Variety said: '“Bullet Train Explosion” feels like a blockbuster made for adults, where the priority is throwing challenges and complications at smart characters instead of sparking conflict with cheap narrative shortcuts and bad, even dumb choices' (Picture: Netflix/Everett/REX/Shutterstock)

Director Shinji has said that he wanted to make something with global appeal. 'Of course, it is a domestic story, but I didn't want to make something that would only resonate with the Japanese audience,' he told Time Magazine. 'I wanted a universal touchstone in the emotions.' Bullet Train Explosion is available to stream on Netflix now - while you can watch the original Bullet Train on Amazon Prime Video (Picture: Netflix/Everett/ REX/Shutterstock)