Netflix always makes a big commitment to Christmas. The world’s biggest streaming service offers subscribers a slew of new festive flicks every year. After debuting various seasonal romantic comedies that have ranged from seriously silly but oddly charming (“Hot Frosty”) to outright awful (“The Merry Gentlemen”), Netflix’s holiday selection culminates with “Carry-On”, a festive film that has more in common with "Die Hard" than “Love Actually."
This action-thriller sees a young TSA officer (played by Taron Egerton) thrown into a nightmare scenario on Christmas Eve when he's blackmailed by a traveler with a sinister intention. It’s a festive pick that will add a little adrenaline to your holiday watchlist and serves as a nice change of pace from saccharine rom-coms or animated family movies. Not to mention, it’s leaps and bounds above Prime Video’s Christmas-set action flick, “Red One." Though, just be aware it’s certainly not going to replace “Die Hard."
“Carry-On” has all the makings of a Netflix No. 1 movie, and I suspect millions of subscribers will gath their families this festive season, pour a few glasses of eggnog and settle in to stream this highly entertaining, but somewhat forgettable, Netflix holiday movie. However, if you’re not totally sold on adding to your watchlist yet, here are all the details you need…
What is ‘Carry-On’ about?
Carry-On | Official Trailer | Netflix - YouTube
Ethan Kopek (Taron Egerton) is a man stuck in a rut. Working at LAX as a TSA lackey with no career ambitions, his girlfriend, Nora (Sofia Carson) pushes him to find his true passion. When the pair discover they are set to become parents, Ethan swears to try harder to rediscover his spark for life.
Working the Christmas Eve shift, Ethan pleads with his boss (Dean Norris) for a chance to prove himself worthy of a promotion. But the young security agent is about to experience the holiday shift from hell. While working at the baggage scanners, a mysterious traveler (Jason Bateman) blackmails Ethan into letting a dangerous package slip through the security checkpoint.
The traveler’s plan is soon revealed and Ethan realizes that hundreds of passengers are in grave danger. It is now up to him to find a way to stop the sinister plot while also protecting his loved ones. Oh, and in classic holiday movie fashion, Ethan might just rediscover his zest for life along the way!
‘Carry-On’ packs plenty of holiday-themed thrills
“Carry-On” gets great mileage from slowly increasing the tension right out of the gate. After a brisk opening that sets the scene, and gives us an insight into Ethan’s general dissatisfaction with his life, the TSA agent finds a discarded earbud and a mysterious text message tells him to wear it or face the consequences. From here the game is afoot, and the mysterious traveler explains to Ethan that he must do as instructed to survive.
Rather than the package showing up on Ethan’s security line immediately, the movie wisely takes the appropriate time to build the suspense. Ethan attempts (unsuccessfully) to think his way out of the situation, and the traveler taunts him, using Ethan’s hacked personal file as a weapon against him. This interplay between the two is enjoyable, largely well-delivered (more on that later), and gives the movie a foundation to build upon.
Those craving more than dramatic conversation over an earbud will be pleased to know that things get more frantic soon. Ethan runs about the airport so much in the third act that his daily step count must have trebled. However, the lead-up to the finale is predictable, but the action is slick, and there’s one standout sequence during a high-speed chase that sees the camera fly around the interior of a car. This short section really impressed me and proves that director Jaume Collet-Serra (who also helmed 2014's airplane set action-thriller "Non-Stop") has plenty of filmmaking talent.
The strong work of the two leads largely kept my attention throughout even when the narrative takes a turn for the implausible. Taron Egerton knows his way around an action flick having starred in the “Kingsman” movies and while Ethan is significantly less charismatic than Eggsy, Egerton hits all the required beats with relative ease. The real ace up “Carry-On”’s sleeve is Jason Bateman, who is devilishly diabolical. And I love it.
If you’ve ever seen the (very underrated) thriller “The Gift”, Bateman channels the same energy. His character is plenty menacing, and his condescending tone and cynical worldview make him extremely easy to dislike. Within just a few moments of meeting him — or should that be hearing his voice for the first time — you’ll be eager to see his plot foiled. And that dislike of the antagonist carries through the two-hour runtime.
Make sure to check your brain before boarding
While I found plenty to enjoy in “Carry-On”, and I can definitely say I was entertained from start to finish, this is an action-thriller movie where it’s better not to think too hard. You’ll find plenty of plotholes and logical inconsistencies if you look for them. I suspect a popular YouTube channel that counts “sins” in movies will have a field day with this Netflix flick.
There’s also a rather bland side plot involving an FBI agent named Elena Cole (Danielle Deadwyler) investigating a Russian mob ring that eventually converges with the main narrative. While Agent Cole’s scenes are used to explore the traveler’s motivations and ultimately explain his final goal, “Carry-On” would feel tighter if it was solely set within the busy LA airport.
Overall, I’m totally okay with “Carry-On” being a fun but flawed action-thriller romp. Yes, it’s not going to make my favorite movies of the year list, and I doubt it’ll be a movie I watch every Christmas from now but I mostly enjoyed it the first time and it makes for great alternative programming over the festive season. And at least it’s a lot better than “Die Hard 5”!
Stream ‘Carry-On’ on Netflix this festive season
“Carry-On” looks set to entertain Netflix viewers over the holiday season. Its combination of a seasonal setting (L.A. is drenched in sunlight without a hint of snow but the soundtrack is festive and the sets are decorated with shiny tinsel), and action thrills will engage viewers looking for a new Christmas movie that doesn’t involve falling in love under the mistletoe.
So long as you can tolerate genre cliches and some less-than-watertight narrative logic, “Carry-On” offers uncomplicated thrills. And it’s some of the most fun I’ve had watching a Netflix movie this year. However, it lacks the haunting nature of rivals like “Woman of the Hour” or the cinematic delights of “Hit Man,” so keep your expectations in check. This is a disposable holiday-themed action thriller. Don't expect to recall much of it by Boxing Day.
Alternatively, if you’re craving a festive flick that is a bit more traditional, I’ve rounded up the best classic Christmas movies you need to watch this year (Yes, “It’s a Wonderful Life” is on the list). Or, if you want another slice of excitement with your plate of mince pies this December, be sure to binge-watch Netflix’s new winter-set thriller TV show “Black Doves.”
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