December 15, 2024

Carry-On Soars From Taron Egerton and Jason Bateman’s Tense Connection

Item: Carry-On Soars From Taron Egerton and Jason Bateman's Tense Connection
Author: Karen Benardello

by Karen Benardello

©Courtesy of Netflix

The most suspenseful thrillers aren’t those that overindulge in unrealistic action sequences that refuse to take real-world dynamics into consideration. Instead, Unknown and Non-Stop director, Jaume Collet-Serra has found some of his biggest successes as a filmmaker by focusing on decent people who are trapped in compromising positions. His latest movie, Carry-On, continues his signature formula by focusing on a working-class protagonist who’s manipulated to look like the villain.

Carry-On follows Ethan Kopek (Taron Egerton), a TSA Agent at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). He’s known by his colleagues for not being great at his job, which he only took to be able to work with his pregnant girlfriend, Nora (Sofia Carson), the operations director of the fictional Northwind Airlines.

On their way to their shift on Christmas Eve, Nora encourages Ethan to reapply for the police academy, as he still dreams about becoming a police officer after his initial application was denied. Afraid of being rejected again, he instead tries to reassure his boss, Phil (Dean Norris), that he truly is interested in being promoted at the airport.

So Ethan is given the chance to prove his dedication by being assigned to monitor the x-ray machine that scans the passengers’ titular carry-on bags. Soon after, he’s shocked when he’s contacted by an anonymous radical criminal, who’s only referred to as The Traveler (Jason Bateman).

©Courtesy of Netflix

The Traveler communicates with Ethan through an earbud left in his security line. The assassin threatens that if the TSA Agent doesn’t follow his instructions, he’ll have his accomplice, known as The Watcher (Theo Rossi), kill Nora.

The Traveler insists that Ethan allow a suitcase containing prohibited items through his security lane. Despite the latter’s hesitation and objection to putting the entire airport’s safety at risk, he reluctantly allows the former to carry out his plan.

Meanwhile, police detective Elena Cole (Danielle Deadwyler) soon becomes involved in the case after linking evidence in a seemingly unrelated murder to the airport. As she collects more information, she tries to convince her superiors that impending disaster is impenitent at the airport. From their own respective posts, both Elena and Ethan try to stop the luggage from being brought onto one of the planes and foil the Traveler’s plan before more lives are lost.

Collet-Serra and Carry-On screenwriter, T.J. Fixman, crafted an edgy, compelling story for the surveillance thriller that takes inspiration from such similar 2000s entries in the genre as Eagle Eye and Phone Booth. The script crafts a down-on-his-luck protagonist in Ethan, who’s easily humanized through his relatable weaknesses. Driven by his desire to achieve more in his career before he can truly embrace the successes in his personal life, Ethan doesn’t realize his full potential until he’s faced with a drastic, life-altering situation.

©Courtesy of Netflix

One drawback in the plot is Ethan and the Traveler initially engage in some predictable beats early in the story to set up the main conflict, such as the TSA Agent taking a few chances to inform his colleagues of the impending danger, which the assailant immediately derails. However, the story eventually offers a unique insight into the characters’ personalities and motives. The smooth banter between the two lead characters, particularly as they share their motivations for their past and present actions, creates a gripping intimacy between them.

Besides the memorable character development featured in the drama, particularly of Ethan’s professional and personal lives, the story also builds its suspense on the reality of the government’s expanded surveillance power over its citizens. While Ethan is putting his own life at risk to protect Nora and save the lives of the innocent passengers, the actions he and the Traveler take to achieve their goals erodes individual privacy. The men’s reliance on the always-present surveillance systems to outwit each other in their respective pursuits of success is a reminder that no one’s privacy is protected anymore.

While he brings a menacing tone to his voice-overs as his character is giving Ethan instructions through the earpiece, Bateman leaves a lingering presence over the entire movie. He infuses the Traveler with a sense of confidence, control and surprising understanding of Ethan’s life while giving the TSA Agent his instructions.Bateman also infuses his criminal mastermind villain with a sense of humor and smugness over the fact that he believes he’ll easily be able to outsmart the seemingly underachieving Ethan.

©Courtesy of Netflix

However, Egerton also grows to match his co-star’s striking presence on screen. The Kingsman series alum mixes his signature boyish charm with a new sense of maturity that emphasizes how his character is struggling with deciding what kind of person he is and how to appreciate his life.

Ethan is shown to slowly but surely rediscover his confidence throughout the thriller, however, as the actor embraces the character’s physicality. He bravely sprints across the terminal, and even fights his way through the airport’s baggage sorting system in an elaborate acrobatic routine, in order to track down and stop the Traveler.

Collet-Serra once again crafted a mesmerizing action thriller that focuses on a down-on-his-luck protagonist who doesn’t realize his full potential until he’s faced with a drastic conflict. While Carry-On begins with the typical genre set-up in order to build its tension, the story eventually builds up to offer a unique insight into the characters’ personalities and motives.

The natural chemistry between Egerton and Bateman creates a gripping intimacy between their characters, who are determined to prove they’re trapped in compromising positions that hinder their advancements. However, Ethan ultimately proves that a difficult career setback doesn’t have to result in a lifetime of surrender.