Carry-On is a high flying actioneer that lets director Jaume Collet-Serra deliver one of his best films to date, showcasing all the action, plot twists and impossible moments audiences have come to expect from him featuring a great cast led by Taron Egerton, Jason Bateman and Danielle Deadwyler, making for a new favourite Christmas action film.

 

If you have ever seen a film directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, you know that his films are not grounded in realistic moments. Rather, they embrace the outrageous plot twist driven thriller and take unthinkable situations and make them a thrilling experience for the audience, that with his capable direction, easily elevates the films above their B grade premise. From stranded surfers in shark infested waters to killer children, Liam Neeson action thrillers and one of the most guilty pleasure slashers with his remake of House of Wax, Collet-Serra knows how to entertain. His latest film, in collaboration with both Amblin Entertainment and Netflix, marks one of his best and most entertaining films to date that emulates the holiday action spirit of the Christmas classic Die Hard. Armed with a cast featuring Taron Egerton, Danielle Deadwyler and Jason Bateman in the lead roles and a screenplay that grabs viewers and takes them on a heart pounding ride full of twists, turns and shocking reveals, this is one excellent thriller that never for a second squanders its potential. 

 

Christmas Eve in airports is always the busiest travel day, and undoubtedly one of the few days that is most stressful for airline staff and security workers. And that is before a terrorist plot is thrown in there, which is the premise of Collet-Serra’s latest action thriller. Much like the majority of his other films, Carry-On is based in reality but takes its story to the extreme, creating what is a spiritual sequel to the Christmas classic Die Hard as we watch Egerton’s Ethan try to prevent a terrorist attack from happening at LAX. With each plot twist, the rational side of your brain is picking apart the plot developments as they are truly far fetched, outlandish, and not plausible, but it’s all strong together in such an entertaining manner that you can’t help but to fasten your seat belt and turn your mind off for the ride. Moving at a lightning pace, throwing twist after twist at viewers, Carry-On fully embraces its premise and never for a second pretends to be something it is not, delivering true entertainment from start to finish. It is a shame that this film is only getting a release on Netflix, as it is an incredible example of the mid-budget studio film full of excitement, danger, and surprise propelled by a story that once it gets started, does not let you go, that would have played out brilliantly on the big screen.

 

It feels like ages since we’ve seen Egerton grace our screens as his last film was last year’s Tetris which came out at the beginning of 2023, but from the second the film starts you are instantly reminded as to what a talented actor he is. As Ethan, Egerton captures the heart of this young man, trying to better himself for his family and apply himself after some career setbacks, only to find himself an unwilling pawn in a terrorist attack. He captures the fear, stress and adrenaline rush that turns Ethan into the hero his airport needs with a determination and captivating presence that holds the entire film together. Needless to say, I hope it's not almost two years again till we see our on screen appearance from Egerton. Though he is not present on screen often, Bateman’s voice work does wonders and truly ups the stakes for this film. Giving much of his performance over the phone as he directs Egerton’s Ethan to let his agent pass through security with a dangerous weapon, Bateman will send chills down viewers’ spines with a downright sinister performance. While calm and collected, there is a coldness to Bateman’s voice that makes his unnamed traveler a truly dangerous adversary, armed with intelligence and a bird’s eye view of the operations at LAX, giving the film the perfect villain. Though, the biggest surprise of the film is Deadwyler, not because you don’t expect a great performance from her as she always does, but it’s how seamlessly she adapts to this popcorn thriller and embodies the film’s spirit throughout her entire performance. Not only is she funny, but with some great action moments, it’s the perfect example of why Deadwyler needs to be leading a mainstream Hollywood film immediately. Rounding out the cast is Sofia Carson, Dean Norris, Tonatiuh, Theo Rossi, Logan Marshall-Green, Sinqua Walls and Gil Perez-Abraham, all of whom are solid additions to an already great film, never missing a beat in their performance and creating a memorable group of characters for the audience to go on this adventure with.

 

When it comes to action, Collet-Serra knows exactly what he is doing and delivers some nail-biting sequences throughout the film. With each set piece, Collet-Serra maintains the story’s momentum as he simultaneously increases the danger that Nora is in while setting Ethan and the unnamed traveler on a collision course, building to their big showdown in the film’s final act. Using great fight choreography, tense moments and genuine fear as you hold your breath as you are unsure what unpredictable twist is going to be thrown at you next, the action sequences let Egerton and Deadwyler shine. Egerton easily slips back into his action persona that he developed in films like Kingsman: The Secret Service and Robin Hood, while Deadwyler proves there is nothing she cannot do including being a totally badass action star. Her big scene in the middle of the film is an exhilarating car chase that, even though it features some pretty rough CGI, is one of the film’s highlights and proves that Deadwyler should not only be in Oscar nominated dramas, but headlining her own action films.  

Destined to be debated by movie fans for years to come regarding whether it is a Christmas movie or not, much like its spiritual companion film Die Hard that it would make a great double header with, Carry-On is a jolt of action with just enough of a festive theme to make for an exciting movie night in. As ridiculous and ludicrous as the plot’s numerous twists and turns get, there is a never a second where Jaume Collet-Serra doesn’t waiver in his thrilling direction of this non-stop action flick that with the great performances of Taron Egerton, Danielle Deadwyler and Jason Bateman, makes Carry-On the perfect action film for the holiday season.