This old-fashioned, straightforward British suspense film proves very satisfying. It joins a rather proud tradition of action and/or mystery pictures set with the enclosed space of a train, ranging from The Lady Vanishes to Runaway Train. This particular story unfolds one winter night on a late-night commuter rail from London. Lewis (Dougray Scott), an emergency-room doctor and a widower, is traveling with his son (Joshua Kaynama). His sleepy evening turns anxious when his stop rushes by, and the train does not stop. He and four other travelers on the train realize a madman may be driving the speeding diesel-engine behemoth, and their journey may end in a fiery crush of steel if they cannot find a way to stop or escape from the train.

It is a simple popcorn-movie scenario, but one executed well, a few minor plot holes and instances of dodgy computer-generated imagery excepted. A quiet first act with a generous amount of character development helps a great deal. Scott, a one-time A-list hopeful whose career never entirely ignited (scheduling conflicts forced him to vacate role of Wolverine in the first X-Men film), is an understated, but charismatic lead, and he has genuine and sexy chemistry with Kara Tointon, nicely playing a friendly female passenger with whom Lewis flirts before the night turns into a fight for survival. Despite a presumably modest budget, the set pieces, including a perilous bid to uncouple a section of cars, are exciting and realized with visual panache. The film is simply fun. A crisp, playful, unpretentious ride which never overplays its hand. I would not be surprised one bit if U.S. studios recruited promising first-time director Omid Nooshin for a larger genre film in the future.

B+