“Carry-On,” a new Christmas thriller starring Taron Egerton and Jason Bateman, shows a Transportation Security Administration agent get blackmailed on Christmas Eve. Egerton plays Ethan, the TSA who has arguably the worst day imaginable, and Bateman plays a menacing, unnamed traveler, who is the root cause of Ethan’s bad day. This film was quickly compared to “Die Hard,” which is also considered a Christmas thriller. According to Deadline, it is Netflix’s biggest film debut of the year and according to IMDb, it is the fifth most watched movie on the streaming service.
The film takes place in Los Angeles International Airport on Christmas Eve, when travelers are already more frustrated than usual. When Ethan is assigned a new position to prove his willingness for his job, he finds a lost earpiece at his screening station. He simultaneously receives a text on his phone saying to put the earpiece in his ear. He complies and the mysterious voice of an unnamed traveler tells him that he must do whatever it takes to clear a suitcase containing a deadly gas through TSA. The unnamed traveler threatens the life of Ethan’s pregnant girlfriend, until he reluctantly agrees to help him.
This film was entertaining and thrilling throughout once this mysterious voice proved himself to be a real threat. Every attempt Ethan makes to alert someone to the deadly bag is met with a warning from the traveler. Ethan knows the mysterious person is not playing games when he sees a red dot hovering over his girlfriend’s forehead. The stakes were constantly increasing, especially when the mysterious traveler takes matters into his own hands to get his bag onto the plane. It was not hard to root for Ethan and his clever attitude when he proves in multiple ways that he is capable of whatever job the airport gives to him. With the film taking place on Christmas Eve, it was a nice festive touch to watch an intense car crash while “Last Christmas” by Wham! played in the background.
Bateman’s menacing presence was effective, and especially impressive given his character was only a voice for the first half of the film. His voiceover work adds to the unease and tension as the audience experiences everything only from Ethan’s point of view. To add to his mysterious presence, Bateman’s character is never given a name, and he is always seen in dark clothing. Bateman usually plays average characters living average lives as he does in movies like “Horrible Bosses” or “Identity Thief.” So “Carry-On” helps to showcases his range, leaning more toward a side of him best seen in the Netflix show “Ozark.”
Egerton is best known for his role in the Kingsman movies, but his role in “Carry-On” is most like the character he played in the series, “Black Bird.” He earned an Emmy nomination for that performance in which he had to use his smooth-talking skills to get a confession out of a suspected killer. Many people on social media have called for a “Taron Egerton Renaissance” saying he needs to be recognized more often for his performances.
“Carry-On” can easily become a beloved Christmas classic in the same category as “Die Hard.” Its success made Netflix history and informed more people on the wide range of performances both Bateman and Egerton bring to the table.
