Great thrillers live and die by their complexity. movies like all the president’s men or blow away Create an intricate and detailed world of mystery that draws you in and keeps you at the center of the maze to unravel the tension of what lies ahead. But solid B-movie thrillers are about simplicity. These are the movies filming and phone booth You don’t necessarily have to choose to wear it, but if you find it on cable, never say no. What makes this movie so fun and endlessly rewatchable is that it effectively wrings every last drop of mystery and suspense from its deceptively simple premise. and carry-onNetflix’s new vacation airport thriller, is as solid a B-movie thriller as you’ll find.
The film follows Ethan (Taron Egerton), a bored TSA agent with dreams of becoming a police officer. But while he’s working at LAX, he’s determined to pay as little attention to his work as possible, much to the dismay of his newly pregnant girlfriend (Sophia Carson), who wants to see him get promoted or finally join the company. LAPD. Unfortunately, despite Ethan’s minimal efforts, during his shift on the X-ray machine on Christmas Eve, he receives an earpiece from a terrorist (Jason Bateman) telling him that his girlfriend will die if he does not pass a certain bag through the machine.
All of this setup takes less than 10 minutes to communicate. Now we have every security camera at LAX monitored and a duel of wits begins between Ethan and the terrorist who has a huge lead. Director Jaume Collet-Serra is a master of cable thrillers with his Blake Lively shark survival movies. shallows Although he is a particular standout, it is in these early moments that he is at his best.
While some films’ plots unfold and are revealed to the audience gradually, Collet-Serra’s thriller feels like watching someone make origami, because every fold of the plot is important, precise, and incredibly complex. His protagonist begins with easy, clear movements. Ethan tries to call the police on his cell phone under the table and send a text message on his Apple Watch, but both are immediately interrupted. The wrinkles should now become more detailed and complex. Suddenly we’re immersed in secret messages, nerve agents, airport codes, and TSA tricks, and Collet-Serra beautifully ties us in with each new reveal or twist in the story.
But for all of Collet-Serra’s talents in this particular subgenre, carry-onThe true strength of lies in the performances of the two leads. Egerton and Bateman are on screen or talking at almost every moment of the film’s two-hour running time, and still each delivery and airport-based chess move crackles with energy leading up to the inevitable climactic showdown.
Between playing a spy in Matthew Vaughn’s Kingsman movie and playing the piano like Elton John in the movie, Egerton has proven himself to be the best man on several occasions. rocket manbut carry-on This is the first time the 35-year-old actor has proven that he can actually show his age and play an older character, performing slower, less fluid actions. He gives a quietly determined performance here, but you can’t help but hope that he’ll return in a similar role in every branch of the seemingly boring service. Maybe he and Collet-Serra will team up for a notary thriller next. Has Affleck already taken the accountant course?
But the real treat here is Jason Bateman. He gets to play evil in a way he’s never been allowed to. Ozark Let me dip my toe into the villain pond every once in a while. It’s the kind of simple, uncomplicated evil we’ve rarely seen in thrillers over the past decade. He’s just a guy who comes here and kills a lot of people for money. But Bateman plays the character with a panache that cleverly hides how much this man loves his evil work, and how good he is at it. His terrorists are always one step ahead, and it’s more than enough to see people like Ethan playing a game that Bateman’s character is sure he’s already won.
Considering how great the two leads are, it’s not surprising that the only thing that stands in their way is really turbulent. carry-on‘s outstanding tension occurs when the film moves away from the central duel and introduces a police detective (Daniel Deadweiler) who inadvertently finds himself caught in the middle of the action. As with many of these thrillers, the police characters both feel like unwelcome distractions from the film’s main events, and are downright essential to holding together a plot that’s more interested in creating an interesting premise than a mystery that makes sense. But it’s hard to blame the movie for coming to a so-so conclusion when the journey to get there was enjoyable. carry-on‘S.
In another era, this would be the kind of movie you’d come home from for the holidays and find your parents had seen six or seven times. Just because it’s showing on TNT and I stop channel surfing every time I see it. And who can blame them? carry-on It’s really fun. It won’t scare you, it won’t replace die hard In response to your dad’s favorite wink What is your favorite Christmas movie?But it will keep you and others watching it entertained every time you turn it on. It’s a shame you can’t catch this in the middle via cable.
carry-on Currently streaming on Netflix..
