CARRY-ON (NETFLIX REVIEW)

February 5, 2025February 4, 2025

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Dreams are often fragile, shaped by hope and ambition, yet easily shattered by circumstances beyond our control. What happens when life offers a second chance to chase those dreams, but at a cost that could risk everything you hold dear? Netflix’s Carry-On explores this question through a gripping narrative of suspense, sacrifice, and redemption, centred around Ethan Kopek, a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officer at Los Angeles International Airport.

Ethan, portrayed by Taron Egerton, is a man burdened by disappointment. After failing to join the police force due to concealing his father’s criminal past, he finds himself working a mundane job at the airport, far removed from his aspirations. His pregnant girlfriend, Nora Parisi, who works as the operations director for Northwind Airlines, encourages him to reapply and pursue his dream. Seeking to prove himself, Ethan volunteers to manage a baggage scanning lane on Christmas Eve, unaware that this decision will plunge him into a life-threatening conspiracy.

The story takes a dramatic turn when Ethan is contacted by a mercenary known as “The Traveler” through an earbud. The Traveler demands that Ethan allow a specific carry-on case to pass through security unchecked, threatening to harm Nora if he refuses. Ethan soon realises he is being closely monitored by another accomplice, “The Watcher,” leaving him isolated and unable to seek help.

Desperate to alert his colleague, Lionel, Ethan writes a message in invisible ink. However, before Lionel can act, he is poisoned with aconitine, resulting in a fatal heart attack. The tension escalates as Ethan’s supervisor, Phil Sarkowski, replaces him with his friend Jason. The Traveler threatens Jason’s life, forcing Ethan to manipulate the situation to protect him. Ethan plants an alcoholic drink at Jason’s workstation, leading to his removal and Ethan’s return to the scanning lane. Under duress, Ethan allows a passenger, Mateo Flores, to pass through with the carry-on case, unaware it contains Novichok, a lethal nerve agent.

Meanwhile, LAPD detective Elena Cole investigates a double homicide linked to the smuggling of Novichok into the country. She alerts the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and connects the threat to Ethan’s aborted 911 call. A terminal-wide sweep is ordered, but Ethan secretly adds Mateo to the list of flagged passengers, hoping to thwart the plan. The Traveler, suspecting Ethan’s interference, confronts him in a restroom. Ethan disarms the Traveler of his plastic gun, but in retaliation, the Traveler arms the Novichok bomb.

In a tense confrontation, Sarkowski detains Mateo for inspection, but Ethan intervenes, holding both at gunpoint. Mateo reveals he is also being coerced, as the Watcher holds his husband, Jesse, hostage. In the chaos, Mateo fatally stabs Sarkowski. With time running out, the Traveler guides Ethan to reset the bomb. Mateo is ordered to kill Ethan but is killed when the plastic gun overheats and explodes. The Traveler retrieves the Novichok case and orders the Watcher to kill Nora. Ethan uses Mateo’s phone to warn her, and Nora narrowly escapes, with Jesse ultimately killing the Watcher.

As the plot unfolds, Detective Cole discovers the Traveler’s true target: Congresswoman Grace Suarez Turner, a passenger on a flight to Washington, D.C. The Novichok attack is designed to implicate Russia, ensuring congressional approval for increased defence spending and enriching weapons manufacturers. The Traveler boards the flight, unaware that Ethan has switched the bomb into a larger suitcase, forcing it into the cargo hold.

Ethan infiltrates the cargo hold to disarm the bomb, while Nora persuades Cole to allow the flight to take off, preventing the Traveler from becoming suspicious. As Ethan works to dismantle the bomb, the Traveler confronts him. In a final act of defiance, Ethan locks the Traveler in an airtight refrigeration unit with the nerve agent, ensuring his demise. The plane safely returns to the airport, and the threat is neutralised.

One year later, Ethan’s life has transformed. Now a police officer, he passes through a TSA checkpoint with Nora, their child, and Jason’s family, en route to Tahiti. As he places his LAPD badge in the scanning tray, it serves as a poignant reminder that dreams, though deferred, can still be realised.

Carry-On is more than a thriller; it is a story of resilience, sacrifice, and the enduring power of hope. Through Ethan’s journey, the film reminds us that even in the face of overwhelming odds, the pursuit of one’s dreams and the protection of loved ones can lead to redemption. It is a tale that resonates deeply, leaving viewers reflecting on the choices that define us and the second chances that can change everything.