The Carry On series comprises 31 low-budget British comedy films produced between 1958 and 1992, characterized by slapstickfarce, verbal puns, and abundant sexual innuendo, often parodying historical events, professional institutions, or popular genres.[1][2]Initiated with Carry On Sergeant in 1958 under producer Peter Rogers and director Gerald Thomas, the franchise relied on a core ensemble of actors including Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Joan Sims, Charles Hawtrey, and Barbara Windsor, who appeared across multiple entries in archetypal roles that emphasized their comedic personas.[1][3]The films achieved commercial success through efficient production—typically shot in weeks on modest sets—and broad appeal to working-class audiences via accessible, irreverent humor that thrived amid post-war Britain's cultural shifts toward liberalization, grossing substantial returns relative to their costs despite limited marketing.[1][4]Notable entries like Carry On Cleo (1964) and Carry On Up the Khyber (1968) exemplify the series' peak, blending historical spoof with visual gags and double entendres that have sustained cult followings, though later installments faced declining quality and audience interest by the 1970s.[5]Critics and later observers have highlighted the series' unapologetic bawdiness, including portrayals now viewed as politically incorrect, yet its enduring legacy stems from unpretentious entertainment value rather than artistic ambition, with revivals and spin-offs underscoring its cultural footprint in British comedy.[1][6]
Synopsis
Plot Summary
Carry-On centers on Ethan Kopek (Taron Egerton), a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agent working at John F. Kennedy International Airport on Christmas Eve 2024.[7] A mysterious traveler (Jason Bateman) approaches Ethan and blackmails him into allowing a suspicious package to pass through security checkpoints without inspection.[8] The package contains Novichok, a potent nerve agent capable of endangering the 250 passengers aboard United Airlines Flight 1289 bound for London Heathrow.[9]Ethan's girlfriend, Mia (Sofia Carson), serves as a flight attendant on the targeted flight, heightening the personal stakes as the traveler threatens her life and others close to Ethan to ensure compliance.[9] As the deadline approaches, Ethan must navigate airport protocols, evade detection by colleagues including his supervisor Pamela (Joanne Froggatt), and attempt to neutralize the threat without alerting authorities, leading to a tense cat-and-mouse game across the terminal.[10] The traveler's scheme involves coordination with external operatives, including Russian criminals, to deploy the agent mid-flight for maximum impact.[11]Throughout the ordeal, Ethan employs ingenuity and limited resources to outmaneuver the blackmailer, who monitors his actions remotely and escalates demands.[12] The narrative unfolds in real-time, emphasizing the high-pressure environment of airport security and the cascading consequences of the breach.[13]
Development
Conception and Writing
The screenplay for Carry-On originated as an original script by T.J. Fixman, a writer with prior experience in video game narrative design, including lead scripting for Insomniac Games' Ratchet & Clank series such as Tools of Destruction (2007) and A Crack in Time (2009).[14][15] Fixman penned the initial draft, establishing the core premise of a TSA agent blackmailed by a mysterious traveler to bypass security with a hazardous package on a Christmas flight, blending high-stakes thriller elements with airport procedural realism.[14]Development advanced with revisions by screenwriter Michael Green, known for credits including Logan (2017) and Blade Runner 2049 (2017), who provided the most recent polish to refine pacing and character dynamics.[14] Despite Green's contributions, Fixman retained sole writing credit in the final film, as confirmed by production updates.[16] The script's evolution occurred under producer Dylan Clark, with Netflix acquiring the project for development by mid-2022, when director Jaume Collet-Serra attached and principal casting announcements followed.[14] This timeline positioned Carry-On as an efficient original production, avoiding protracted rewrites common in studio features.
Pre-Production
Pre-production for Carry-On commenced in the months leading up to principal photography, following the assembly of its core creative team. In July 2022, director Jaume Collet-Serra and lead actor Taron Egerton were officially attached to the project, marking it as the inaugural feature under a multi-picture deal between Netflix and Steven Spielberg's Amblin Partners, established in 2021 to develop original films for the streamer.[17][12] The screenplay by T.J. Fixman, centered on a TSA agent's blackmail dilemma at a major airport, formed the foundation, with production overseen by Dylan Clark Productions alongside Amblin and Netflix.[18]By October 2022, the film transitioned into active pre-production, with announcements of supporting cast additions including Dean Norris, Tonatiuh, Logan Marshall-Green, and Sinqua Walls, alongside further hires such as Sofia Carson and Jason Bateman in key roles.[19] This phase encompassed logistical planning, including location scouting that identified New Orleans—specifically the unused terminal at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY)—as the primary stand-in for the story's Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) setting, chosen for its expansive, controllable environment to simulate high-traffic security and boarding areas without disrupting real operations.[12] Budget and scheduling were aligned to enable a swift pivot to filming, reflecting the streamlined approach typical of Netflix's original content pipeline.[20]The pre-production timeline positioned principal photography to begin in late October 2022, emphasizing practical effects preparation for action sequences involving airport chaos, baggage handling, and confined-space confrontations, while coordinating with aviation consultants to ensure procedural accuracy in TSA protocols.[19] This preparatory work facilitated a contained shoot, minimizing on-set delays and aligning with the film's holiday-themed release strategy on December 13, 2024.[20]
Production
Casting
Taron Egerton was cast in the lead role of Ethan Kopek, a Transportation Security Administration officer blackmailed into facilitating a security breach, with the attachment announced in July 2022.[21]Jason Bateman joined the production on August 31, 2022, to portray the Traveler, a shadowy passenger who coerces Kopek by leveraging compromising information about his past.[22]On September 26, 2022, additional casting rounds expanded the ensemble, followed by Netflix's official announcement on October 17, 2022, confirming Sofia Carson as Nora Parisi, Kopek's girlfriend and a flight attendant; Danielle Deadwyler as Elena Cole, a federal agent investigating the threat; and Theo Rossi as the Watcher, a surveillance operative monitoring the operation.[21][23] Further supporting roles included Logan Marshall-Green, Dean Norris, Sinqua Walls, and Tonatiuh Elizarraraz, announced in subsequent updates through late 2022.[24]The casting emphasized actors capable of high-stakes tension, with Egerton's prior action roles in films like Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014) and Bateman's shift from comedic leads to antagonist aligning with director Jaume Collet-Serra's vision for a thriller evoking 1970s airport suspense.[25] No open casting calls or audition details were publicly disclosed, with selections handled through agency representations and prior collaborations, such as Collet-Serra's work with Egerton on unrelated projects.[23]
Filming
Principal photography for Carry-On took place primarily at the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport in New Orleans, Louisiana, doubling as Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).[26][12] The production commandeered an out-of-use terminal wing, which provided a controlled environment for filming without interfering with active operations, unlike the real LAX.[27][26] Crews redressed the space to evoke LAX specifics, incorporating facades for Los Angeles brands such as Lemonade and Pinkberry, alongside custom-constructed TSA screening equipment and tarmac setups for exterior sequences.[27]Director Jaume Collet-Serra emphasized the advantages of the decommissioned facility, which granted access to typically restricted airport zones and enabled comprehensive redesigns to simulate LAX's layout and atmosphere.[26][12] He employed specialized cinematographic techniques, including custom camera rigs, wide-angle lenses, reflective surfaces, and spatial distortions, to amplify claustrophobia and tension within the single-location confines.[12] TSA consultants advised on-set to ensure procedural accuracy in security protocols and agent behaviors.[12]Supplementary shoots occurred in Cleveland, Ohio, also portraying Los Angeles exteriors.[28] Lead actor Taron Egerton described the physical rigor of performing extended action sequences, such as prolonged runs through the real terminal corridors, necessitating rigorous fitness preparation.[29] The approach prioritized practical effects and on-location authenticity over extensive green-screen work, aligning with Collet-Serra's prior confined-space thrillers like Non-Stop.[12]
Post-Production
The post-production phase of Carry-On commenced in June 2023 following principal photography and concluded in June 2024, enabling the film's preparation for its December 13, 2024, release on Netflix.[20]Editing was overseen by a team comprising Fred Raskin, Elliot Greenberg, and Krisztian Majdik, whose work contributed to the film's taut pacing amid its action sequences and suspenseful narrative.[30]Visual effects supervision fell to Bradley Parker, with production VFX producer Tolly Swallow coordinating efforts across multiple vendors, including Barnstorm VFX, BOT VFX, Cantina Creative, Crafty Apes, El Ranchito, RISE Visual Effects Studios, Universal Production Partners (UPP), and Weta FX; these contributions supported key sequences such as environmental enhancements and action set pieces.[31][32]Sound design and post-production audio were directed by Erik Aadahl, serving as supervising sound editor and sound designer at E2 Sound, which handled immersive effects for the film's high-stakes airport and in-flight tension.[33][34]
Release
Distribution and Marketing
Carry-On was distributed exclusively by Netflix as a streaming original, bypassing traditional theatrical release in favor of global availability on the platform starting December 13, 2024.[8] This direct-to-streaming strategy aligned with Netflix's model for original films, enabling simultaneous worldwide access without regional theatrical windows.[30] The film, produced in partnership with Dylan Clark Productions, leveraged Netflix's internal distribution infrastructure for subtitles, dubbing, and algorithmic promotion to subscribers.[35]Marketing efforts emphasized the film's high-stakes thriller elements and holiday setting, with Netflix releasing the official trailer on YouTube on November 12, 2024, which highlighted the TSA agent's dilemma and featured stars Taron Egerton and Jason Bateman.[36] A viral social media campaign amplified key scenes, such as tense confrontations and plot twists, to generate buzz and drive engagement on platforms like TikTok and X, contributing to pre-release anticipation.[37] Physical promotions included custom analog displays, such as a Picture Flap installation on the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles, designed to evoke the film's aviation theme and draw public attention during the December rollout.[38]Promotional materials, including posters depicting Egerton in TSA uniform amid airport chaos, were distributed digitally and in select print media to underscore the Christmas Eve peril narrative.[39] Netflix integrated targeted email campaigns and homepage banners for subscribers, focusing on action-thriller fans, while avoiding broad advertising spends typical of theatrical releases, relying instead on platformdata for personalized recommendations.[12] This approach prioritized cost-efficiency and viewer retention over box-office metrics, consistent with streaming economics.[40]
Premiere and Release Dates
Carry-On premiered exclusively on Netflix worldwide on December 13, 2024.[8][12] The streaming release coincided with the film's availability in the United States at 12:00 a.m. PT, marking its debut without a prior theatrical run.[41][13]Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, the action thriller was produced for direct-to-streaming distribution, bypassing traditional cinema exhibition as part of Netflix's original content strategy.[18] No red-carpet premiere events or limited theatrical screenings were reported prior to the digital launch.[21] The release timing aligned with the holiday season, capitalizing on the film's Christmas Eve setting for seasonal viewership.[7]
Reception
Critical Response
Carry-On garnered generally favorable critical reception upon its Netflix release on December 13, 2024, achieving a Certified Fresh status on Rotten Tomatoes with an 88% approval rating from 107 reviews and an average score of 6.8 out of 10.[42] On Metacritic, the film held a score of 62 out of 100 based on 18 critics, indicating mixed-to-positive sentiment. Reviewers frequently commended the film's taut pacing and suspenseful airport-set action, positioning it as a competent genre entry amid holiday viewing options.Praise centered on the lead performances, particularly Taron Egerton's portrayal of reluctant TSA agentEthan Kopek and Jason Bateman's turn as the manipulative terrorist Hyde, whose dynamic drove the narrative tension.[10][13] Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com awarded it three out of four stars, lauding its "refined simplicity" and Egerton's ability to anchor the thriller as a rising action lead.[10] The Hollywood Reporter noted the swift escalation from personal stakes to high-stakes airport chaos, crediting director Jaume Collet-Serra for maintaining urgency despite formulaic elements.[13] Punch Drunk Critics called it a "smartly-crafted, heartstopping thriller" ideal for streaming audiences seeking escapist thrills.[43]Criticisms focused on narrative implausibilities, underdeveloped subplots, and a lack of originality in echoing films like Die Hard 2.[44]The New York Times described it as amplifying "travel nightmares" through its premise but critiqued the terrorist's implacable menace as straining believability in quieter moments.[45]The Guardian highlighted the title's misleading nod to the British Carry On comedy series, faulting the film for subdued humor and archetypal roles that failed to innovate beyond thriller conventions.[46] Observer deemed it a derivative effort that "barely achieves lift off," with Bateman and Egerton exerting effort to elevate a script hampered by predictable twists.[44]The consensus, as aggregated by Rotten Tomatoes, views Carry-On as a serviceable, tension-filled diversion that prioritizes star-driven suspense over depth, appealing to viewers tolerant of genre tropes but unlikely to endure as a classic.[42] Mainstream outlets, often aligned with established Hollywood perspectives, emphasized its entertainment value while noting procedural liberties that real security experts might dispute, though few delved into empirical critiques of its terrorism portrayal.[10][45]
Audience and Commercial Performance
"Carry-On" achieved significant commercial success on Netflix, amassing 42 million views in its first week of release from December 13 to December 19, 2024, marking the largest opening week for any Netflix original film that year.[7] By December 22, 2024, the film had accumulated 97.1 million global views, calculated as total viewing hours divided by its runtime, and it topped Netflix's Global Top 10 chart for the week of December 9–15.[47] In its first full week, it recorded 1.92 billion viewing minutes, the second-highest weekly performance for a Netflix movie according to Nielsen data.[48] Subsequent metrics showed it reaching 149 million views, securing fifth place among Netflix's all-time most-watched films, and later surpassing 171.5 million views, underscoring its strong streaming performance amid competition from holiday content.[49][50]Audience reception was mixed, with an IMDb user rating of 6.5 out of 10 based on over 181,000 votes, reflecting appreciation for its tense pacing and performances by Taron Egerton and Jason Bateman but criticism for plot inconsistencies and unrealistic elements in the airport security scenario.[7] On Rotten Tomatoes, the audience score stood at 59%, lower than the critics' 88% approval, largely due to viewer frustration over perceived plot holes, such as implausible security breaches and contrived character motivations, despite praise for its suspenseful thriller structure and nostalgic action-thriller vibes.[42][51] Some viewers highlighted its edge-of-your-seat tension and moral dilemmas as strengths, positioning it as a competent streaming diversion, though others dismissed it as formulaic with overly convenient resolutions.[42] The film's popularity, evidenced by its viewership dominance, suggests broad appeal for high-concept action amid limited theatrical alternatives, even as audience feedback revealed divides over narrative plausibility versus entertainment value.[52]
Accolades
Carry-On earned a nomination for Outstanding Producer of Streamed or Televised Motion Pictures at the 36th Producers Guild of America Awards, held on February 8, 2025.[53]The film received multiple nominations at the 25th Golden Trailer Awards, announced on May 8, 2025, recognizing excellence in promotional materials. These included Best Motion/Title Graphics for the trailer "The Bag," produced by Netflix and X/AV, and Best Sound Editing in a TV Spot for "Showdown," also by X/AV for Netflix.[54][55][56]None of the nominations resulted in wins for the production.[57]
Themes and Analysis
Portrayal of Security and Terrorism
In Carry-On (2024), airport security is depicted as a multi-layered system reliant on human agents, surveillance cameras, and procedural checks, but vulnerable to individual coercion and insider threats. The protagonist, TSA agent Ethan Kopek (played by Taron Egerton), operates at a Los Angeles International Airport checkpoint during the Christmas rush, screening passengers and luggage for explosives or prohibited items using scanners and manual inspections.[10] The film illustrates security protocols such as passenger pat-downs, bag swabs for trace explosives, and coordination with federal authorities, emphasizing the high-stakes environment where delays can cascade into chaos.[40]Terrorism is portrayed through a sophisticated extortion scheme orchestrated by a shadowy figure (Jason Bateman), who blackmails Kopek into allowing a carry-on suitcase containing a biological weapon to bypass screening, threatening the agent's family and exploiting personal vulnerabilities.[58] This setup frames terrorism not as ideological fanaticism but as calculated pragmatism by self-interested actors aiming to disrupt air travel for leverage, with the plot hinging on real-time hacking of airport systems to monitor compliance. The narrative underscores causal vulnerabilities in security: a single compromised employee can undermine technological safeguards, reflecting post-9/11 concerns about insider facilitation of attacks, though dramatized for tension.[59]Critiques from Transportation Security Administration officials highlight inaccuracies in the film's depiction, noting that actual protocols include redundant checks, such as canine units and explosive detection systems, which would likely intercept the depicted threat before boarding.[60] TSA procedures prohibit agents from handling passengers' bags post-screening without oversight, and the movie's portrayal of isolated decision-making ignores layered supervisory reviews and federalair marshal presence on flights.[60] These liberties prioritize narrative suspense over procedural fidelity, as confirmed by aviation experts who argue the scenario requires implausible lapses in chain-of-custody rules.[61]The portrayal aligns with thriller conventions by justifying stringent security measures as essential deterrents, portraying terrorism's success as dependent on exploiting human elements rather than systemic flaws alone.[62] Screenwriter T.J. Fixman drew from personal airport delays to conceptualize the premise around 2011-2012, framing it as a "trolley problem" where individual ethics clash with broader threats, though without endorsing real-world circumvention of safeguards.[63] While entertaining, the film's selective realism—omitting details like advanced CT scanners deployed by TSA since 2013—serves dramatic ends over empirical accuracy.[60]
Moral and Ethical Dilemmas
The central moral dilemma in Carry On revolves around TSA agent Ethan Kopek's coerced decision to permit a suspicious backpack—containing a concealed explosive device—onto a departing flight, under threat of immediate detonation by the blackmailer known only as "The Traveler."[10] This forces Ethan to weigh his professional duty to avert mass casualties against the personal imperative to protect his girlfriend, a passenger aboard the targeted aircraft, creating a high-stakes utilitarian conflict akin to the philosophical trolley problem, where sacrificing one life might preserve many others.[63] Screenwriter T.J. Fixman explicitly drew on this ethical framework to heighten tension, prompting viewers to interrogate whether personal loyalty overrides broader societal safety in crisis scenarios.[63]Ethan's predicament underscores tensions between rigid security protocols and discretionary judgment, as adhering to standard TSA procedures risks triggering the bomb prematurely, while deviation invites accusations of negligence or complicity in terrorism.[64] The film portrays this as an intimate ethical bind, confining the stakes to individual choices rather than expansive conspiracies, which amplifies the realism of split-second moral trade-offs faced by frontline security personnel.[65] Critics have noted how the narrative probes the human cost of post-9/11aviation safeguards, questioning whether agents, often under-resourced and scrutinized, possess adequate authority or information to resolve such impasses without compromising either personal ethics or public welfare.[66]Secondary dilemmas emerge for supporting characters, including Ethan's supervisor, who must balance supervisory oversight with escalating suspicions of protocol breaches, and federal agents arriving mid-crisis, confronting the ethics of intervention amid incomplete intelligence.[10] The Traveler's manipulation exploits these layers, framing terrorism not as ideological fanaticism but as leveraged vulnerability, which raises questions about the moral culpability of exploiting systemic flaws in screening processes for extortion.[67] While some analyses praise the film's exploration of sacrifice under duress, others critique its resolution—relying on technological deus ex machina—as sidestepping deeper ethical ambiguity, potentially undermining the gravity of unresolved real-world parallels in airport security failures.[68]
Legacy and Impact
Cultural Influence
The film Carry-On achieved significant visibility on Netflix, debuting as the streamer's top English-language movie in its first week of release on December 13, 2024, and maintaining a position in the global top 10 for over two weeks, driven in part by viral social media clips highlighting tense scenes and plot twists.[37] This online buzz, including memes on platforms like TikTok and Instagram depicting exaggerated airport drama and "what if" scenarios of security breaches, amplified its reach among younger audiences during the holiday season.[69][70]Public discourse around the film has centered on its portrayal of Transportation Security Administration (TSA) operations, prompting real-world scrutiny from aviation professionals who noted procedural inaccuracies, such as implausible blackmail mechanics and overlooked screening protocols, while acknowledging its depiction of high-stress holiday workloads.[60][71] TSA representatives and flight attendants publicly critiqued the narrative for dramatizing vulnerabilities in ways that could fuel passenger anxieties without reflecting layered federal safeguards, yet the story's "trolley problem" ethical framing—where the protagonist weighs personalharm against masscasualties—sparked broader online debates about moral dilemmas in security roles.[61][63]On social media, Carry-On elicited polarized reactions, with some users expressing heightened distrust toward TSA agents post-viewing, framing the film as inadvertently glorifying bureaucratic overreach amid real complaints of inefficiency, while others praised its homage to underappreciated frontline workers facing daily threats.[72] These discussions contributed to a minor resurgence in conversations about post-9/11 "security theater," though no empirical data indicates lasting shifts in public compliance or policy advocacy as of early 2025.[73] The film's reinforcement of airport thrillers as a genre staple, echoing classics like Die Hard 2, has been noted in film criticism as sustaining cultural fascination with confined, high-stakes environments, but its influence remains confined to streaming-era entertainment trends rather than transformative societal commentary.[74][75]
Factual Accuracy and Critiques
The film Carry-On consulted security experts and drew from real TSA training procedures to inform its depiction of airport operations, including behavior detection techniques where agents observe passengerbody language for anomalies.[76][77] However, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officials have stated that the production did not involve official agency input, leading to several procedural inaccuracies for dramatic effect.[60][71]Aspects portrayed accurately include variations in checkpoint setups across airports and terminals, the option for passengers to request pat-downs instead of advanced imaging technology scans, and the heightened delays during holiday travel periods.[71] TSA spokesperson Jessica Mayle noted that the film positively highlights officers' dedication and teamwork in maintaining security.[60]Key inaccuracies involve fictional elements such as TSA agents playing "Contraband Bingo" with permitted items like sexual aids, which do not occur in operations, and ritualistic chants like "Keep the lines moving, keep the people safe."[60][71] Uniforms lack holiday accessories like Santa hats, and personal items such as phones or coffee are prohibited at active checkpoints.[71] Passengers opting out of scanners face denial of access rather than minimal repercussions, and student IDs trigger verification delays rather than seamless passage.[60] TSA emphasizes layered security measures, including intelligenceintegration, which prevent a single compromised officer from enabling a breach, contrary to the plot's reliance on one agent's actions.[60][71]Critiques from TSA representatives, such as Mayle and public affairs officer Lisa Farbstein, underscore that the narrative overlooks these redundancies, potentially misleading viewers on vulnerability scales, though they acknowledge the story's fictional nature.[60][71] Some TSA agents on social media have echoed this, arguing elements like unchecked water bottles or unchecked breaches exaggerate daily realities, while others appreciate the stress of insider pressures depicted.[77] The film's dramatization of behavioral detection as near-omniscient lie detection also overstates routine focus on prohibited items over elaborate conspiracies.[77] Despite these liberties, TSA views the attention as an opportunity to reinforce protocol awareness without endorsing the plot's feasibility.[60]