"Carry-On" was one of Netflix's (many) holiday releases for 2024, but it stood apart from the rest of its cheesy new romances like "Our Little Secret" or "Hot Frosty."
Instead, Jaume Collet-Serra's action flick served us two hours of thrilling back-and-forth between everyman TSA officer Ethan Kopek (Taron Egerton) and an unnamed "Traveler" (Jason Bateman). While striving to prove himself at work, Ethan found himself being blackmailed into helping the Traveler get a deadly package smuggled through inspection and onto a plane.
Kopek cooperates, while secretly trying to thwart the Traveler's scheme, and the result is an entertaining, confident thriller that features some fun setpiece moments and will easily hold your attention.
If you've already streamed it and still have an appetite for more action, here are 5 movies like "Carry-On" — and where you can stream them — so you can continue to stay on the edge of your seat.
'Die Hard'
If you were thrilled by the whole "everyday officer takes on the world" kind of vibe of "Carry-On," or you liked the fact it was a thriller set at Christmas, then it seems only logical to turn to the original Christmas thrill-ride, "Die Hard". You're bound to have seen this action movie classic already, but if not, it follows John McClane (Bruce Willis) to LA's Nakatomi Plaza for a Christmas Eve party. A group of thugs bust in and take everyone (including his estranged wife) hostage, and McClane realizes he's the only one who can save the day.
'Grand Piano'
Before Damien Chazelle brought us "Whiplash," "La La Land" and "Babylon," he wrote "Grand Piano," a taut concert hall thriller that I couldn't help but think of when I was watching "Carry-On." Eugenio Mira's 2013 thriller introduces us to Tom Selznick (Elijah Wood), a concert pianist who is making his big return after disappearing from the public eye due to severe stage fright. As Tom begins playing, he sees notes scribbled on his sheet music which warn that he'll die if he plays one single move wrong. Soon, he's sporting an earpiece and following instructions from his would-be killer, ensuring the concert goes smoothly while trying to locate the assassin and keep his girlfriend safe.
Rent/buy on Amazon
'Phone Booth'
Long before Ethan Kopek spent his Christmas Eve being manipulated by the mysterious "Traveler" calling all the shots in "Carry-On," Colin Farrell's arrogant publicist Stu Shepard found himself being tormented by an unnamed sniper on the other end of the line in a public phone booth (remember those?). The caller on the other end wants Stu to confess his infidelity to his wife; if he doesn't, he'll be killed, and things spiral out of control as their negotiations continue.
Watch on Hulu
'Red Eye'
Wes Craven's psychological thriller sees Lisa Reisert (Rachel McAdams) embarking on a flight she'll never forget. Having boarded a red-eye flight to Miami for her grandmother's funeral, she takes a seat next to Jackson Rippner, a not-so-subtly-named charming man played by Cillian Murphy. After getting to know him in the airport, Rippner reveals that he belongs to a terrorist group planning to assassinate a senior government official, and Lisa's imperative to his plan. Cue a tense struggle full of mind games (which "Carry-On" certainly echoes) as Lisa does her best to thwart his scheme.
Buy/rent on Prime Video
'Speed'
If you need another against-the-clock thriller to keep you on the edge of your seat, "Speed" is another top choice after "Carry-On". In this 1994 thrill ride from Jan de Bont, LA SWAT officer Jack Traven (pre-"The Matrix" Keanu Reeves) reckons with a major bomb threat from Howard Payne (Dennis Hopper). Payne's planted a bomb on a city bus and rigged it to detonate if the bus ever drops below 50 mph or if Jack (who races through the city and boards the bus mid-transit) tries to get anyone off the bus. It's a simple setup but produces serious, pulse-pounding action.
Watch on Starz
