Carry-On
Netflix | Release Date (Streaming): December 13, 2024 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
69
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 25 Critic Reviews
Positive:
19
Mixed:
5
Negative:
1
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
83
The PlaylistRodrigo PerezDec 16, 2024
Carry-On works because it keeps it simple, because of its no-fuss-no-muss approach and two actors who can really elevate compelling material. Sometimes that’s enough. Read full review
83
The Film StageMitchell BeaupreDec 12, 2024
Carry-On keeps you on the edge of your seat with its myriad turns, always being sure to ground itself in realistic characters who offer the opportunity to question what we would do if presented with a similar scenario. It’s a welcome return to Collet-Serra’s sweet spot, a throwback to ’90s thrillers and a new Christmas crime classic Read full review
83
IndieWireDavid EhrlichDec 12, 2024
Carry-On doesn’t aspire to be too much more than good, trashy, yuletide fun, but it consistently over-delivers on that front in the process of telling a sweet little story about a guy who learns that a difficult career setback doesn’t have to result in a lifetime of surrender. Read full review
80
EmpireJames DyerDec 16, 2024
Die Hard karaoke this may be, but it delivers — and eclipses at least two of John McClane’s outings in the process. Look forward to future eye-rolling debates as to whether it qualifies as a Christmas movie. Read full review
80
We Got This CoveredCharlotte SimmonsDec 13, 2024
Dramatically satisfying with a plethora of engaging twists, 'Carry-On' sticks a firm landing with maximum turbulence. Read full review
80
The Daily BeastNick SchagerDec 12, 2024
This breakneck Netflix offering confirms the enduring vitality of its chosen formula—and, in the process, proves an unexpected and welcome Yuletide streaming gift. Read full review
75
The A.V. ClubJesse HassengerDec 13, 2024
There’s never a true early-check-out moment of the sort that arrives with such numbing frequency in so many bigger-scale blockbusters; the movie locks in and moves. Read full review
75
RogerEbert.comBrian TallericoDec 13, 2024
It’s a bit too long and a lot too silly, but most people won’t care. And in a year with almost no even-modestly-good holiday offerings (sorry to the two “Red One” fans), this might be the best Christmas movie of the year. Read full review
75
Chicago Sun-TimesRichard RoeperDec 12, 2024
Carry-On is a sharp, smallish thriller with some big and satisfying payoffs. Read full review
75
Slant MagazineJake ColeDec 12, 2024
The star of the show here is Collet-Serra. Nothing here reinvents the genre wheel, but the way that the stakes and scope of Carry-On keep escalating even as the focus remains resolutely intimate and paranoid showcases a refreshingly old-school grasp of thriller mechanics. Read full review
75
TheWrapWilliam BibbianiDec 12, 2024
There are about two minutes in 'Carry-On' that are as exciting as any other action movie this year, and about 100 minutes that are pretty fun too. Read full review
75
Boston GlobeOdie HendersonDec 12, 2024
Though I could easily predict what’s coming next in Carry-On, that didn’t stop me from having a good time. The twists were executed successfully, and I liked that the heroic characters did some unlikable things in order to save themselves. Read full review
70
Vanity FairRichard LawsonDec 21, 2024
The film is not going for total plausibility, but it is grounded in the logic and physics of the real world. Carry-On is refreshingly old-fashioned in that way; it is more interested in actual human capacity than in what modern technology can fake. Read full review
70
VarietyPeter DebrugeDec 12, 2024
Although Collet-Serra brings creative solutions to each of the action sequences, the project is actually most effective when audiences are honed in on the core characters. Read full review
70
Wall Street JournalJohn AndersonDec 12, 2024
With Taron Egerton as its hero and Jason Bateman as its villain, it is a perfectly serviceable two hours of action and angst Read full review
70
ColliderNate RichardDec 12, 2024
Carry-On is pure escapist fare that you can turn on while sitting next to your Christmas tree, and it has enough energy that you won’t feel the need to check your phone every 10 minutes. Read full review
70
IGNA.A. Dowd Dec 12, 2024
A good cast and Collet-Serra’s energetic staging elevate the kind of straight-down-the-middle entertainment Hollywood has mostly, sadly stopped bankrolling. It’s not quite Die Hard, but close enough. Read full review
70
The New York TimesGlenn KennyDec 12, 2024
While the picture doesn’t break any new genre ground, it has several jaw-dropping set pieces, including an incredibly physical fight inside a speeding car. Collet-Serra’s staging is excellent throughout. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterLovia GyarkyeDec 12, 2024
Egerton and Bateman’s performances elevate Carry-On and contribute significantly to the film’s overall success. Even when the repeated showdowns between the TSA agent and traveler lose potency, these actors maintain the narrative’s tension and viewer investment. Read full review
60
Paste MagazineJim VorelDec 12, 2024
Carry-On is good for a chuckle in fits and starts, primarily when dealing with the easily imagined workday horrors of dealing with irrational holiday travelers in a packed American airport, or the behind-the-scenes camaraderie of the TSA with their bingo cards for items such as confiscated drugs, weapons or embarrassing sex toys. There’s also a few well-executed action sequences. Read full review
60
The TelegraphTim RobeyDec 12, 2024
The set-up is grabby and effectively alarming, even if it lends itself to more nail-biting stress than actual suspense. Read full review
50
Movie NationRoger MooreDec 16, 2024
This thriller begins at a crawl and finishes with a sprint. The foreshadowing is obvious even if the next twist rarely is. Read full review
50
Screen RantAlex HarrisonDec 12, 2024
Egerton's got something in this vein. Cruise-esque exceptionalism, but cut with relatability like he came from the everyday world but clearly wasn't meant to stay there. Read full review
40
The GuardianPeter BradshawDec 13, 2024
This Carry-On really could have leaned in more to the classic trappings. Read full review
38
ObserverEmily ZemlerDec 12, 2024
It’s occasionally diverting, sure, but so is killing time while you wait for your flight to board. Read full review
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