Happen to be in the mood for a festive action thriller this year? You’re in luck, as Taron Egerton (Black Bird) stars in Carry-On, arriving on Netflix this month and following a security officer at an airport. When he’s bribed with blackmail to turn a blind eye to a plot that could threaten the lives of countless people, the officer and his capabilities are put to the test. Also starring Jason Bateman (Ozark) and Sofia Carson (Purple Hearts), here’s everything you need to know when it hits streaming.

What is Carry-On about?

In a role that’s a bit closer to Kingsman than Rocketman, Egerton stars as Ethan Kopek, a young officer working for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and is tasked with monitoring and investigating everything and everyone that wants to board a plane at his airport. It’s a stressful and tedious job of course- but gets the worst day of his career when a traveller (played by Bateman in a villainous turn) asks him to allow a dangerous package onto a flight, and is prepared to blackmail Ethan to do so. Ethan’s first contact with him is through a call on a pair of headphones, as the voice on the other end demands he let the package on board, or else he’ll harm his pregnant girlfriend Nora (Carson). Not only that, but the whole ordeal is happening on the busy day of Christmas Eve.

Faced with the imminent threat to his girlfriend Nora’s life, Ethan is left with little choice, but also knows that his actions could result in the end of hundreds of lives if the package wrecks the plane. It’s a race against time for Ethan as he tries to figure out a way to outsmart the mysterious figure blackmailing him, as well as figuring out who he is and what is motivation might be. With the clock ticking and so much hanging in the balance, he’ll have to rely on his wits and whatever help he can find to avert total catastrophe.

What else do we know?

Egerton when taking the role decided he wanted the character of Ethan to be different to the generic action hero, and wanted him to be more of an everyman, a bit like John McClane in the original Die Hard. “What we kept our eyes on was making sure that we made him feel as relatable and as normal as possible … whatever normal is in the extraordinary situation he’s in” the actor told Netflix in an interview.

Who else stars, and when can I watch?

Meanwhile, the cast also includes Logan Marshall-Green (When They See Us), Danielle Deadwyler (From Scratch), Theo Rossi (Emily the Criminal) and Dean Norris (Breaking Bad). You can stream it on Netflix from 13th December.

Watch the trailer below:

Looking for more films to watch this month? Check out our top picks here.

Culture, Films & TV

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