Carry On

When winter comes, people often say the weather outside can be frightful—but so can a major airport during the holidays. While passengers spend a few hours (or many) navigating the chaos, most of us forget about the people who work there and deal with stressed-out travelers every day. Carry-On, the new movie by Jaume Collet-Serra, reminds us that airport workers are human too, while also showing us that heroes in an airport don’t always need to be like John McClane.

For Ethan Kopek (Taron Egerton), being a TSA agent wasn’t a lifelong dream. But after three years on the job, he’s found the love of his life, Nora (Sofia Carson). Ethan has been coasting at work, but now, with a baby on the way, Nora wants him to reapply to the police academy. Ethan, however, has other plans—to show some initiative at his current job. That new attitude earns him an assignment at the x-ray machine, a more critical post than his usual duties.

What starts as a regular day quickly becomes anything but. A mysterious caller (Jason Bateman)contacts Ethan, instructing him to ensure a specific bag passes through security without inspection—or else Nora’s life will be in danger. Suddenly, Ethan finds himself in a high-stakes situation where every move counts. Meanwhile, Detective Cole (Danielle Deadwyler) is investigating a crime that appears connected to the caller. All of this builds toward a climactic confrontation—one that might give travelers yet another reason to dread airports.

Written by T.J. Fixman and Michael Green, Carry-On is a surprisingly smart, entertaining, and fun thriller packed with twists. While you’ll notice traces of films like Die Hard and Red Eye in its DNA, Carry-On stands on its own as a clever addition to the action-thriller genre. That said, the film shines brightest when it stays within the confines of the airport, losing some momentum whenever the story shifts outside. Despite these occasional dips, Collet-Serra keeps the narrative engaging and delivers a thrilling, tightly paced movie.

Even as it settles into being an entertaining cat-and-mouse thriller, the film eventually exceeds expectations and deserves a spot in the ongoing debate about what counts as a holiday movie. The cast is fully committed, with Egerton and Danielle Deadwyler delivering solid performances. Egerton, in particular, reminds us why he’s such a magnetic actor.

Not everything works, though. The sequences outside the airport—especially a car crash scene that adds little to the story—feel unnecessary. However, the film’s visuals are impressive, with Collet-Serra skillfully incorporating elements like phone screens into the action in seamless and creative ways.

Ultimately, Carry-On fits nicely alongside other “is it or isn’t it a holiday movie” titles, delivering a thrilling and satisfying experience. It might even give you something rare—a positive impression of airport workers, at least the on-screen versions.