Film Review: CARRY-ON (2024): A Nail-Biting, Edge-of-Your-Seat Action Thriller Featuring a Terrific Taron Egerton

Carry-On Review

Carry-On (2024) Film Review, a movie directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, written by T.J. Fixman and starring Taron Egerton, Jason Bateman, Sofia Carson, Danielle Deadwyler, Theo Rossi, Tonatiuh, Logan Marshall-Green, Dean Norris, Sinqua Walls, Curtiss Cook, Joe Williamson, Gil Perez-Abraham, Josh Brener, Benito Martinez, Edwin Kho, Reisha Reynolds, Adam Stephenson and Michael Scott.

A deadly piece of carry-on luggage must be prevented from getting on a plane where it could do tremendous damage in director Jaume Collet-Serra’s crackerjack action picture, Carry-On. Taron Egerton stars in the movie as Ethan Kopek, a TSA agent at an airport, who is persuaded by the voice of a traveler (Jason Bateman has never been better) to let the aforementioned suitcase through security. Collet-Serra’a movie is among the finest recent action pictures in memory and holds the viewer’s attention right from the outset. T.J. Fixman’s sharp script gives the film’s characters a lot of charisma and the action set-pieces are perfectly conceived all the way through.

Ethan has had a difficult time in his career, failing to get a promotion and getting rejected by the police academy. He is in love with a woman named Nora (Sofia Carson) who challenges him to try to do better in his life from a professional standpoint. One day, at the airport, right around Christmas, a passenger finds an earpiece in the baggage screening area and Ethan takes it and gets a text message instructing him to put it on. The traveler makes demands that if Ethan doesn’t allow a certain carry-on suitcase through security, then people around him will die. Later on, it is revealed that 250 people aboard a particular flight could be killed if this piece of luggage makes it on to the plane.

Danielle Deadwyler, always fantastic, serves as Elena Cole, an agent from the LAPD who may just be able to figure out what’s going on regarding a certain deadly nerve gas that is among the most deadly ever conceived. Deadwyler is on-point in a terrific performance that helps keep the audience in suspense as her character makes discoveries that shock and disturb as Cole desperately tries to help save the day by getting to the bottom of the conspiracy at the film’s helm.

The man handling the dangerous “package” is Mateo Flores (Tonatiuh) and it turns out that Mateo is an unwilling accomplice in what is going on and, soon enough, the traveler, himself, immerses Ethan in this situation to what could be the point of no return. Young children will also board the plane in jeopardy and many will die if Cole and Ethan don’t manage to find and stop the traveler in time. The stakes are high and the tension is expertly mounted.

Taron Egerton is an action movie hero for the ages. His “every man” appeal gives the movie a relatable quality which will help keep the viewer rooting for him throughout the film. Jason Bateman is the quintessential movie villain and he definitely is the type of creepy character that the audience will hate and want to see stopped. The film certainly sees Bateman’s character get a taste of his own medicine by the time the ending credits roll.

Sofia Carson is very likable as well and we believe the chemistry between her and Egerton thanks to fine direction and a solid on-screen rapport between the main romantically-involved characters. Deadwyler’s work here is like the icing on the cake in terms of the high quality of the turns of those featured in this fine action movie ensemble. Deadwyler’s tough-as-nails performance here will keep audiences on their toes waiting anxiously to see what will happen next.

There’s plenty of tense, last minute suspense and twists which will keep the viewer’s heart racing as the film gets to the final confrontation between Egerton and Bateman’s characters. Setting the film around Christmas was a really inspired choice and it gives the movie an edge that helps differentiate it from your run of the mill action picture.

Not since Bruce Willis in the Die Hard movies has an action movie star been this appealing. Egerton, as stated, is astonishingly good as his character sets out to save the day and help the future of society escape an extremely deadly threat. This is the type of action film that feels like it has sequel potential and should be a huge hit for Netflix this holiday season.

Rating: 8/10

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