This Netflix thriller is perfect for fans of Christmas action movies like Die Hard

While the Christmas horror movie seems to be having a moment thanks to the box office success of “Terrifer 3,” we shouldn’t forget the long tradition of the Christmas action movie. The most popular example of this subgenre is, of course, John McTiernan’s 1988 classic, Die Hard. Whether or not you want to count “Die Hard” as a Christmas movie is entirely up to you (it’s is a Christmas movie, by the way), but the truth is that the movie is set on Christmas Eve. And in the wake of “Die Hard,” many other action films found ways to set their events during the happiest season of all. Hell, “Die Hard” wasn’t even the first ’80s action movie to use Christmas as a backdrop. The first “Lethal Weapon” movie, released a year before “Die Hard,” takes place around Christmas, as does the 1985 Chuck Norris film “Invasion USA,” as well as Sylvester’s 1986 trash classic Stallone “Cobra.” And of course, there’s the “Die Hard 2” Christmas set (the franchise would abandon Christmas after this entry).

While it may not have been the first, “Die Hard” remains the gold standard for Christmas action movies, and if you’re craving a new Christmas action thriller this season, Netflix has you covered. This week, the streaming giant will release “Carry-On,” an action thriller set at LAX on Christmas Eve. “Carry-On” comes from director Jaume Collet-Serra, an expert at making highly entertaining and stylish junk food movies like “Orphan,” “The Shallows,” “Run All Night” and “Non-Stop.” Collet-Serra took a break from his high-concept, cheesy thrillers to delve into the land of Dwayne Johnson’s blockbusters with the terrifying one-two punch of “Jungle Cruise” and “Black Adam.” With “Carry-On,” the director seems to return to his roots, and thank Santa for that. In fact, much of “Carry-On” resembles Collet-Serra’s wonderfully silly Liam Neeson thriller “The Commuter,” which simply transports the action from a train to an airport.

Now, I wouldn’t say that “Carry-On” is so good like “Die Hard.” Few movies are! But “Carry-On” is extremely entertaining and the Christmas Eve backdrop enhances the film’s charm.

In “Carry-On,” it’s Christmas Eve and TSA officer Ethan Kopek (Taron Egerton) shows up to work with something weighing on his mind: his girlfriend Nora (Sofia Carson), who also works at LAX, has just revealed that she is pregnant. . Ethan wants to be a father, but he’s also a lowly TSA employee who has never had a promotion even though he’s been on the job for three years. As Ethan himself says, he thought he would be further along in his life and career before becoming a father. Hoping to rise through the ranks and earn a bigger paycheck, Ethan asks his boss (“Breaking Bad” alum Dean Norris) to put him front and center on Christmas Eve so he can prove himself by monitoring the thousands of travelers passing through the airport. for the holidays.

Unfortunately for Ethan, it’s the worst possible time to do this, because a highly skilled criminal mastermind (played by, believe it or not, Jason Bateman) has a plan to smuggle a mysterious (and potentially deadly!) object through security and towards a plane. Ethan soon ends up with a small earpiece in his ear when the bad guy, known only as the Traveler, orders him to follow his very specific set of rules and not flag the device when passing through the check-in line. If you don’t obey, Nora will be killed. Sweaty and desperate, Ethan has to find a way to save the day without alerting anyone to what’s happening, because if he makes a wrong move, the consequences will be deadly. Can Ethan, who once dreamed of being a police officer, stop the bad guy and save Christmas Eve?

The “Carry-On” setup is pretty silly, but that’s part of the fun. Collet-Serra is a filmmaker who knows exactly how to embrace the silliness of his films while also making sure they remain intense. The action in “Carry-On” is solid and fun, and Egerton is a compelling hero. He also gives Tom Cruise a run for his money, literally, as he runs like hell all over the airport, running like a madman as he faces the countdown clock.

And if every action movie is only as good as its villain, “Carry-On” benefits from the presence of Jason Bateman. While Batman doesn’t turn bad all that often, he should, because he’s surprisingly good at playing the bad guy. The horror thriller “The Gift” made great use of this concept, and “Carry-On” takes it to another level. Bateman’s bad boy is completely evil here, in a very no-nonsense, no-nonsense way that makes him even more disturbing. He clearly doesn’t care who he has to kill to achieve his goals.

Then there’s the Christmas angle. Not only does the film begin with Bruce Springsteen’s live version of “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town” and close with Darlene Love’s performance of “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home),” also known as the best Christmas song in all time, but there’s also a wonderfully over-the-top one-shot action scene in a speeding car set in Wham! performing “Last Christmas.” The end result is an extremely entertaining Christmas action movie that will satisfy your “Die Hard” itch (until you can watch “Die Hard” again).

“Carry-On” will stream on Netflix starting December 13, 2024.