Connor Carey’s review published on Letterboxd:
So nice to see Jaume Collet-Serra return to the mid budget action thrillers he excels at. Carry-On is a rock solid thriller that's equally entertaining as it is tense and thrilling. Serra knows how to constantly build and raise tension while keeping things moving at a really good pace and thankfully never overcomplicates its simple premise. The few action/fight sequences we do get are all handled very well and immerse you into the experience even more. Its Christmas themed setting and soundtrack help this standout from several other contained action thrillers of its kind, and it thankfully feels more of a tribute to the first two Die Hard films than it ever does a copy of them. Taron Egerton delivers another great lead performance while you've never seen Jason Bateman in a role like this and he crushes it and adds a ton of menace to his character.
Egerton and Bateman have great back and forth, and the cat and mouse elements are easily the strongest things about this. While some are given more to do than others, this also has a great supporting cast full of talent. Thankfully this never drags but this premise definitely would've been better suited in a 90-minute film rather than a nearly 2 hour one. There are definitely a few scenes and characters that could've been cut to tighten things up a bit. Also, like a lot of Serra's other thrillers this does get pretty far fetched as it goes along, and the third act does stretch quite a bit of believability which will definitely affect some more than others. Whether in theaters or on streaming, we need a lot more mid budget action thrillers like Carry-On. It might not be the next great thriller or anything like that but it’s an entertaining and tense thrill ride filled with strong performances, solid direction, and a great premise that’s well executed. Definitely a good one to watch over the holidays this year.
