After getting tied to a couple of mediocre big-budgeted movies that wasted his talents, Spanish director Jaume Collet-Serra has returned to form with his latest action thriller, Carry-On, streaming on Netflix. As an airport thriller, the movie focuses on a disgruntled TSA agent’s desperate attempts to save his loved ones and numerous others from the machinations of a driven, methodical terrorist. A no-nonsense, straightforward action flick, Carry-On boasts a stacked roster of prolific actors, whose inclusion not only adds strength to a sleek, taut narrative but also provides a star quotient to the movie, making it a must-watch during the holiday season.
Ethan Kopek Played By Taron Egerton
Welsh actor Taron Egerton has a solid acting background, having attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and performed at the National Theatre during the initial phase of his career. Viewers will mostly recognize him as Eggsy from the Kingsman movie series, but his work in biographical features like Rocketman and Eddie the Eagle are true testaments to his talent. In Carry-On, Taron Egerton plays the lead role of TSA Agent Ethan Kopek, a despondent, morose bloke dissatisfied with the fact his life didn’t turn out the way he had imagined. Ethan is burdened by the prospect of fatherhood as well, taking financial conditions into consideration—which prompts him to step up to make a good impression in front of his boss. However, by sheer coincidence, the Traveler orchestrates an attack on the same day Ethan takes up the position of inspecting carry-ons, and the duo clash soon enough.
Ethan’s woes are connected with the life he has left behind to stay with his girlfriend—his willingness to become a cop was ignited at a young age, seeing his father applying to police academy numerous times only to face rejection on each occasion. A young Ethan was determined to fulfill the dreams his father had. However, he blew up the first chance to do so—although that was due to his morality. This contributed to Ethan growing a diffident mindset, accepting defeat even before giving his best shot. Ethan’s demeanor and worldview make him an interesting lead in the context of the crisis as presented in the movie, and as he steps up big time, he is able to acknowledge his true potential. Taron Egerton needs to take more action roles; the physicality brought by him in the role of Ethan turned out to be something to watch out for.
Traveler Played By Jason Bateman
Actor/director Jason Bateman has starred in a few dozen movies during his four-decade-spanning acting career and showcased his comedic flair in a decent number of them, namely Teen Wolf Too, The Change-Up, Bad Words, Horrible Bosses, and Game Night. As is the case with any good comedian, Bateman can pull off a dramatic, mean, villainous role with ease, as seen in Carry-On, where he plays the role of an unnamed terrorist, referred to simply as Traveler. Throughout the course of the movie, Traveler remains an enigmatic, malevolent presence, and even though viewers learn about his directive, absolutely nothing was revealed about his personal life or motivations. A man in his late forties, Traveler is extremely cold, calculative, manipulative, cynical, and ruthless in his approach, and is not encumbered by morality or other hindrances like that. Given his nature and the kind of actions he engages in, it goes without saying that whatever detail Traveler shared about his life with Ethan didn’t have a shred of truth in it.
Jason Bateman’s performance as Traveler, his chemistry with Egerton’s Ethan Kopek, and the power dynamics between them added genuine tension and thrill to the narrative treatment. The proficiency and composed demeanor of Traveler make him appear a much more fearsome individual, a perfect antagonist in the context of the story.
Nora Parisi, Played By Sofia Carson
Actor Sofia Carson rose to prominence with her role as Evie in Disney’s Descendants film series and has acted in Netflix’s romantic flick, Purple Hearts. In the movie, she plays the role of Nora Parisi, an employee in LAX airport operations management and girlfriend of Ethan Kopek. Although Nora’s past or personal life hasn’t been highlighted that much, her role in Ethan’s life and their relationship allows us to learn a bit about her. Nora appears to be pragmatic and optimistic, pushing Ethan to pursue his passion to become a cop. Nora is aware of Ethan’s inner conflicts and what kind of mental pressure he is facing lately and seems quite supportive towards him. Importantly, as someone associated with airport operations, Nora was able to hold her nerve even when put in imminent threat and played an instrumental role in the final act by allowing Ethan a chance to save the day as she was able to negotiate with Detective Elena and earn her trust.
Detective Elena Played By Danielle Deadwyler
Danielle Deadwyler has previously starred in a number of TV series, namely P-Valley, From Scratch, and The Haves and The Have Nots, and made her feature film debut with the acclaimed drama, A Cross to Bear. In the movie, she plays the role of Detective Elena Cole, a hardboiled, perceptive sleuth who uses her intuitive skills to assess troublesome possibilities, and it is her hunch that prompted the LAPD to investigate a possible terrorist plot at work.
Miscellaneous Characters
Even aside from the main leads, the supporting cast of Carry-On has pretty big names attached to it. Breaking Bad’s Dean Norris plays the role of TSA chief Phil Sarkowski, who meets a brutal end in the movie, matching the fate of his DEA agent character counterpart from the AMC TV series. Actor Josh Brener, who has become a familiar face thanks to his appearances in small-screen roles, played the role of techie Detective Herschel. Theo Rossi of Luke Cage, Sons of Anarchy, and The Penguin fame portrayed Watcher—the psychopathic assistant of Traveler who tried to hunt down Nora but got himself killed at the end instead. Actor Sinqua Walls, known for his roles in White Men Can’t Jump and Friday Night Lights, played the role of Ethan’s colleague/best friend Jason, while Logan Marshall Green, who has previously appeared in Prometheus and Upgrade, played the role of crooked fake agent Alcott. Gil Perez-Abraham, who played the role of Officer Martinez in The Batman, appears as Ethan’s colleague Eddie and acts as comic relief.
