Action thrillers are becoming even more unexpected additions to Christmas movie lists, joining rom-coms, horror, and R-rated films. Recently, Carry-On hit Netflix, bringing a plot so intense it’ll leave you holding your breath. The story follows Ethan Kopek (Taron Egerton), a young security agent working on Christmas Eve, who quickly finds himself in a no-win situation when he’s caught in a terrorist plot of massive proportions. Threatened with losing his pregnant girlfriend, he’s forced to let a piece of hand luggage containing a dangerous bioweapon pass through an X-ray machine and board a packed flight.
Videos by ComicBook.com
The movie, which also features Sofia Carson and Jason Bateman, is packed with nonstop pressure from start to finish, with the protagonist forced to make quick decisions. Right now, Carry-On has an 86% rating on Rotten Tomatoes from critics, showing that a solid suspense and adrenaline-filled thriller really resonates with a lot of people. But this isn’t the first time audiences have seen a story like this. The Die Hard franchise is a prime example and a fan favorite, though plenty of other great productions follow the same vibe and are definitely worth watching – or rewatching. Here’s a list of the best ones.
Die Hard 2
While Die Hard (1988) is a classic worth rewatching for being the original, it’s the 1990 sequel that lines up more closely with the plot of Carry-On. In Die Hard 2, terrorists take control of Washington airport to free Ramon Esperanza (Franco Nero), a political prisoner being extradited. They threaten to blow up multiple planes if their demands aren’t met, and John McClane (Bruce Willis) jumps into action when he realizes his wife Holly (Bonnie Bedelia) is on one of the planes.
[RELATED: Bruce Willis Once Claimed Die Hard Isn’t a Christmas Movie (And He Might Be Right)]
The similarities with Carry-On are hard to miss, especially with the airplane setting. In the Netflix movie, while much of the action unfolds in the airport, Ethan eventually has to board a flight under urgent circumstances.
Die Hard 2 is available to stream on Disney+.
Retribution
Retribution is a 2023 film and a remake of the Spanish production El Desconocido (2015). It follows Matt Turner (Liam Neeson), an executive who accidentally triggers a bomb in his car, planted by an unknown criminal. The tension ramps up when the mysterious figure starts giving him orders over the phone, forcing Matt to follow them throughout the day under the threat of the car exploding. To make things worse, his family is with him, adding even more risk to the situation.
Pressure is the heart of this movie, with the protagonist’s every move closely monitored. Similarly, in Carry-On, the stakes are just as high – if not higher – since the action takes place in a crowded airport. Ethan is not only under threat from external forces but is also being watched by his own supervisor, adding another layer of tension.
Retribution is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
Red Eye
Red Eye is a 2005 film set in an airport and aboard a plane. Lisa (Rachel McAdams) is traveling to Texas after her grandmother’s death when her flight gets delayed, and she meets Jackson Rippner (Cillian Murphy). Once on board, she’s surprised to find him seated next to her. After takeoff, Jackson reveals his true intentions: he’s there to kill a powerful politician and needs Lisa’s help to carry out his plan. If she refuses, he’ll have her father killed with a single phone call.
Red Eye and Carry-On share striking similarities, particularly in how the protagonists are forced to act against their will to protect their loved ones. However, the way they deal with their enemies at key moments is exactly why fans of one movie should check out the other.
Red Eye is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
The Call
Full of mystery from start to finish, The Call is a 2013 film that follows Jordan (Halle Berry), a 911 operator in Los Angeles. After a traumatic incident where she takes a call from a young woman panicking during a home invasion, the outcome affects her so deeply that she steps away from the job. The story picks up when she returns to work and faces a shockingly similar call to deal with the same criminal.
In the movie, Jordan must constantly battle her own emotions, striving to remain composed and responsible in a life-or-death situation. Similarly, in Carry-On, Ethan is forced to maintain a clear head as events spiral out of control and his girlfriend’s life hangs in the balance right in front of him.
The Call is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
Phone Booth
Stuart Shepard (Colin Farrell) is a dishonest advertising executive in the 2003 film Phone Booth. Every day, he uses a specific phone booth in New York to keep his wife, Kelly (Radha Mitchell), from discovering his affair with Pamela McFadden (Katie Holmes). One day, when he calls Pamela, the phone rings, but instead of her, an unknown voice answers. The caller threatens Stuart, warning that if he hangs up or leaves the booth, he’ll be killed by a sniper.
The plot is fast-paced and driven by intense dialogue, with the communication between the protagonist and his unseen enemy playing a key role in building tension and action. This same dynamic is mirrored in Carry-On, where the protagonist’s interactions with his antagonist are equally crucial to the story’s progression.
Phone Booth is available to stream on Disney+.
Speed
Speed is one of the action classics of 1994. The story follows Howard Payne (Dennis Hopper), a madman who plants a bomb on a bus that will detonate if the vehicle’s speed drops below 50 miles per hour. Officer Jack Traven (Keanu Reeves) boards the bus and explains the situation to the passengers. Things take a turn for the worse when Annie Porter (Sandra Bullock), a passenger, has to take the wheel after the driver is accidentally shot by another passenger who feels threatened due to a past crime. From that point, everything happens simultaneously – police working to defuse the bomb and the bus needing to stay in motion.
While the narrative of Speed is built around pure adrenaline, it contrasts with Carry-On, which leans more on suspense. However, both films share a critical similarity: the presence of a bomb that must be dealt with in a very short amount of time.
Speed is available to stream on Disney+.
Eagle Eye
In Eagle Eye, released in 2008, Jerry Shaw (Shia LaBeouf) and Rachel Holloman (Michelle Monaghan) are thrown together after receiving a phone call from a mysterious woman who threatens their lives and the lives of their families. With no way out and their every move tracked by technology, they quickly become the country’s most wanted fugitives.
In Carry-On, Ethan finds himself in an airport where every step he takes is monitored by cameras, and the criminals are watching his every move. There’s a powerful sense of control driving the narrative, similar to Eagle Eye, where the main characters are always being watched and controlled by unseen forces.
Eagle Eye is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
