Carry-On

The blue latex glove is the ultimate symbol of modern mundanity. We’ve all been there: standing on a cold linoleum floor in our socks, clutching a plastic bin like it’s a life raft, waiting for a stranger to decide if our toothpaste is a threat to national security. In Jaume Collet-Serra’s Carry-On, Taron Egerton wears those gloves with the weary resignation of a man who has seen too many oversized bottles of shampoo. He plays Ethan Kopek, a TSA agent working the Christmas Eve shift at LAX, and within ten minutes, I found myself checking my own pockets for forbidden liquids.

I watched this on a Tuesday night while my radiator was doing a passable impression of a heavy metal drummer, clanking and hissing in the corner of my apartment. Weirdly, that extra layer of industrial noise added to the tension. Carry-On is a film built on the sounds of the machinery—the hum of the X-ray belts, the beep of the metal detectors, and the chillingly calm voice of Jason Bateman whispering threats through an earpiece. It’s a quintessential "contained thriller," the kind of movie that takes a relatable annoyance (airport security) and turns it into a high-stakes chess match where the board is a baggage claim.

The Hitchcock of the Departure Gate

Director Jaume Collet-Serra has carved out a fascinating niche as the modern king of the "location-based" B-movie. He gave us Liam Neeson on a plane (Non-Stop), Liam Neeson on a train (The Commuter), and Blake Lively on a rock (The Shallows). He knows exactly how to squeeze every ounce of dread out of a confined space. In Carry-On, the airport isn’t just a backdrop; it’s a character.

The film thrives on the contrast between the festive, "Home Alone" vibes of the holiday travelers and the clinical, high-tech underworld of airport operations. Taron Egerton is excellent here, playing Ethan not as a super-spy, but as a smart kid who is visibly sweating through his uniform. He’s relatable because he makes mistakes. He gets scared. When the "Traveler" (Jason Bateman) blackmails him into letting a mysterious package slip onto a flight, Ethan doesn’t suddenly turn into John Wick. He tries to outthink a man who seems to be everywhere at once. Bateman, meanwhile, delivers a performance that is essentially "Evil Michael Bluth," using that trademark dry delivery to make even a simple "Merry Christmas" sound like a death sentence.

Streaming Stakes and Digital Polish

As a 2024 Netflix release, Carry-On is a perfect example of the "Direct-to-Living-Room" blockbuster. It has the glossy, high-budget sheen of a theatrical release—the production design of the LAX terminal is remarkably immersive—but it’s paced for the distracted viewer. It hits the ground running and rarely stops for air.

There’s a certain "algorithm-friendly" efficiency to the script by T.J. Fixman. It checks all the boxes: a ticking clock, a hidden villain, and high-tech surveillance. However, it manages to escape the "generic streaming movie" trap through its sheer commitment to the bit. The action choreography in the latter half of the film, particularly a scramble through the labyrinthine luggage conveyor system, is staged with a clarity that many $200 million franchise films lack. Collet-Serra actually lets you see the hits land, which is a refreshing change of pace in an era of "shaky-cam" chaos.

The film also leans into contemporary anxieties. It touches on the illusion of security and the reality of "security theater." It asks us: if the system is designed to catch the obvious, what happens when the threat is invisible? It’s a very 2024 question, wrapped in a very 1990s thriller package.

Stuff You Didn't Notice

From Games to Gates: The screenwriter, T.J. Fixman, spent years as a senior writer for Insomniac Games, the studio behind Ratchet & Clank and Spider-Man. You can feel that "video game" logic in the way Ethan has to navigate different "levels" of the airport to solve the puzzle. The Bateman/Collet-Serra Connection: Believe it or not, this is the first time these two have worked together. Bateman reportedly took the role because he wanted to play a villain who was "omnipresent but physically absent" for most of the runtime. The Fake LAX: While it looks like Los Angeles International Airport, a massive portion of the film was actually shot in New Orleans on a colossal set. They recreated the TSA checkpoints with such accuracy that real TSA consultants were brought in to ensure the "security flow" looked authentic. A "Die Hard" Nod: Keep an ear out for the score by Lorne Balfe. It occasionally weaves in some sleigh bells and orchestral flourishes that feel like a direct homage to Michael Kamen’s work on Die Hard. The Watcher: Theo Rossi appears in a role that feels like a callback to his tech-savvy characters in Sons of Anarchy and Luke Cage, serving as the eyes and ears for the villain. Egerton’s Training: To prepare for the role, Taron Egerton actually spent time shadowing real security officers to learn the specific "rhythm" of the X-ray machines and the pat-downs.

Carry-On is exactly what it promises to be: a lean, mean, holiday-themed thriller that doesn't overstay its welcome. It’s a high-end B-movie that knows its limitations and plays its best cards early, leaning on the charisma of its leads to paper over some of the more far-fetched plot holes. It’s the kind of movie that makes you want to double-check your own luggage before your next flight, and while it might not be an "instant classic," it’s a damn fine way to spend two hours on your couch.

By the time the credits rolled, my radiator had finally stopped its clanking, and the silence in my apartment felt a little more suspicious than it did before. That’s the sign of a thriller doing its job. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel—or the luggage trolley—but it certainly knows how to make them roll. If you’re looking for a holiday movie with a little more "boom" and a lot less "sap," Ethan Kopek’s worst shift ever is well worth the watch.