Carry-On is a 2024 Netflix thriller directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, the guy behind The Shallows and a string of Liam Neeson vs. a ticking clock movies like Non-Stop and The Commuter. Ethan Kopek (Taron Egerton) is a junior TSA officer at LAX on Christmas Eve when a stranger, credited only as the Traveler (Jason Bateman), drops an earpiece on his station and starts giving orders. Let one specific carry-on through the scanner, or Ethan's girlfriend Nora (Sofia Carson) pays for it.
What follows is Ethan racing to outsmart the Traveler in real time, all while stuck behind a security desk in front of a packed terminal. The bag isn't just contraband either, it's a nerve agent rigged to kill everyone on a specific flight if Ethan doesn't play along.
The setup is basically Die Hard reworked for a TSA badge instead of a cop's, and the film leans into that one-guy-against-impossible-odds formula Collet-Serra has built a career on. On paper, it should deliver wall-to-wall tension. The problem is the film keeps tripping over itself to get there.
The Experience
The Highlights:
- Jason Bateman Is the Film's Best Asset. He brings a coiled, controlled menace to a role that could have easily been one-dimensional. Every scene he's in has an edge to it.
- The Premise Is Gripping on Paper. An airport on Christmas Eve, a hidden threat, and a man trapped between two impossible choices. The first act sets it up well enough to keep you leaning in.
- It Moves Fast. The pacing is relentless and the film never lingers long enough for you to get bored. If you want something loud to fill an evening, it does that job.
Fair Warning:
- The Script Leans Too Hard on Convenience. Too many moments only work because the plot needs them to. Characters keep making choices no real person would ever make, and after the third or fourth time, it starts to eat away at the tension the film is working so hard to build.
- Taron Egerton Felt Miscast. This is not about his ability as an actor, it is about fit. The character needed someone who reads as more grounded and weathered. He never quite convinced me he belonged in that uniform.
- The Stakes Never Fully Hit. For a movie this loud and fast, it is surprising how little emotional weight it actually has. You end up watching things happen instead of feeling them.
Final Verdict
My Rating: 5.0
This movie is basically the definition of a perfectly average thriller. All the ingredients are there, but the execution fumbles just enough that it never turns into anything memorable. It did rack up huge numbers for Netflix in its opening week, so clearly the premise alone was enough to pull people in. Watch it if you need some background noise with a bit of adrenaline in it. Otherwise, just rewatch Die Hard instead.
Am I being too harsh?
If you've already seen Carry-On, I want to hear your take. Drop a comment below, especially if you think Taron Egerton was actually the right call.
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