Spanish-American filmmaker Jaume Collet-Serra returns to his genre roots with Carry-On (2024), an airport thriller set on Christmas Eve that evokes the tension of Die Hard with a touch of Phone Booth’s claustrophobic suspense—departing from his usual collaborations with Liam Neeson in Hitchcock-inspired, mid-budget action fare, Collet-Serra teams up with Taron Egerton in a high-stakes thriller that follows TSA agent Ethan Kopek, who is coerced by a mysterious figure to allow a dangerous package onto a Christmas Eve flight. Although it’s not right to expect something deeper out of Serra’s movies, the film explores themes of morality, manipulation, and the weight of responsibility under pressure. As Ethan navigates a tense game of survival, the narrative delves into ethical dilemmas, personal redemption, and the impact of split-second decisions in life-or-death scenarios. If you found Netflix’s Carry-on riveting in any form, here are 7 other movies that you may like:
1. Phone Booth (2002)
Joel Schumacher’s Phone Booth is the obvious movie that comes to mind for a list of movies that are like Carry-On. It is a taut psychological thriller centered on Stu Shepard, a slick publicist who finds himself trapped in a Manhattan phone booth by a sniper who forces him to confront his lies and moral failings. Similar to Netflix’s Carry-On (2024), both movies thrive in their confined, high-pressure settings and explore themes of ethical dilemmas, manipulation, and survival under duress.
While Phone Booth uses the booth as a symbol of confinement and truth, Carry-On employs the chaos of an airport and the protagonist’s moral quandary over a life-threatening package. Both protagonists, Stu and Ethan, are ordinary individuals forced into extraordinary circumstances, pushed to make critical decisions that challenge their integrity.
The suspense in both narratives hinges on a mysterious antagonist who exerts control, creating tension and introspection. These parallels highlight how both films build tension through character-driven stakes rather than relying solely on action, making them gripping explorations of morality and responsibility.
2. Eagle Eye (2008)
D.J. Caruso’s Eagle Eye is a fast-paced techno-thriller about two strangers, Jerry and Rachel, who are manipulated by an artificial intelligence into carrying out dangerous tasks that could lead to catastrophic consequences. Similar to Netflix’s Carry-On (2024), the film revolves around an ordinary protagonist forced into odd circumstances by a shadowy antagonist, creating a narrative driven by suspense and ethical dilemmas.
As far as movies like Carry-On are concerned, we can clearly see that both films delve into themes of coercion, surveillance, and moral responsibility under immense pressure. In Eagle Eye, the use of advanced technology to control and monitor the characters mirrors the manipulative tactics seen in Carry-On, where the protagonist faces a life-or-death decision in an airport setting.
The protagonists in both films must navigate a web of deceit, make impossible choices, and confront their inner strength to outsmart their tormentors. These shared elements make Eagle Eye a compelling comparison for fans of Carry-On, blending action, suspense, and moral complexity into a gripping cinematic experience.
3. Speed (1994)
Jan de Bont’s Speed is as iconic as it has been since 1994. This high-octane nail-biting suspense thriller follows LAPD officer Jack Traven who must prevent a bomb from exploding on a city bus by keeping its speed above 50 mph. Like Carry-On (2024), Speed is one of those movies that revolves around protagonists facing life-or-death situations, where split-second decisions are crucial. Both stories trap their heroes intense, high-stakes scenarios orchestrated by an unseen antagonist manipulating events, forcing the protagonist to act under extreme pressure.
In Speed, the confined space of the bus creates an intense sense of urgency, much like the pressure Ethan faces in Carry-On within the airport setting. Both films are about survival, manipulation, and moral decisions, with characters being forced to take responsibility for their actions while racing against time. The suspense and tension in both movies come from the protagonists’ fight to outsmart their tormentors and navigate through life-threatening circumstances.
4. The Call (2013)
The Call (2013) is about a 911 operator, Jordan Turner, who receives a call from a teenage girl, Casey, kidnapped and trapped in a car trunk. The movie, like Carry-On involves protagonists forced into high-pressure situations, racing against time to prevent a tragedy. Themes of responsibility, quick decision-making, and overcoming personal fears resonate in both movies, as ordinary characters rise to extraordinary challenges.
Halle Berry’s performance as Jordan is gripping, capturing the emotional toll of her job and the urgency of the crisis. While The Call was not well received you can’t just let it slip because the narrative is quick, suspenseful and keeps you on the edge throughout. The film drew inspiration from real-life 911 cases, adding authenticity to its premise. Fans of Carry-On will appreciate The Call’s nail-biting tension and character-driven storytelling.
5. Die Hard 2 (1990)
Die Hard 2, the sequel to one of the best action movies of all time follows John McClane as he faces off against terrorists who take control of an airport during a snowstorm, threatening passengers and flights. Like Netflix’s Carry-On (2024), Die Hard 2 is one of those movies that places its protagonist in a high-stakes airport setting, with time-sensitive threats and personal stakes driving the narrative. Both movies are about resilience, morality, and the impact of critical decisions under duress.
McClane’s relentless determination to outsmart the terrorists echoes Ethan Kopek’s struggle in Carry-On as he navigates manipulation and moral dilemmas. Both characters face intense pressure in enclosed environments, heightening suspense and tension. Die Hard 2 enhances its action-packed narrative with clever twists, making it a compelling comparison for fans of the nail-biting stakes and confined settings of Carry-On.
6. Non-Stop (2014)
A list of movies like Carry-On will be incomplete if we don’t put another one of Jaume Collet-Serra’s action-thrillers. Non-Stop is a perfect sister-movie with an edge-of-your-seat narrative that follows U.S. Air Marshal Bill Marks as he uncovers a deadly conspiracy aboard a transatlantic flight. The film shares thematic similarities with Netflix’s Carry-On (2024), as both feature protagonists forced to act under extreme pressure in confined spaces. The high-stakes atmosphere, unfolding in real-time, and the looming danger to innocent lives create parallel narratives of suspense.
In both movies, the protagonists are manipulated by unseen antagonists who make them confront moral dilemmas while battling against time to resolve the crisis. Non-Stop’s combination of psychological tension and action mirrors the balance of suspense and character-driven drama in Carry-On, making it a thrilling choice for fans of confined-space thrillers.
7. Red Eye (2005)
Wes Craven’s Red Eye is a tense psychological thriller that unfolds aboard a red-eye flight, where hotel manager Lisa Reisert is threatened by a terrorist who needs her to assist in an assassination plot. Similar to Netflix’s Carry-On (2024), both films feature protagonists trapped in confined spaces, grappling with high-stakes situations involving manipulation.
As far as movies like Carry-On are concerned, both stories have the tension arising from the characters’ need to outsmart their antagonists under immense pressure, with lives hanging in the balance. Red Eye’s combination of a confined setting, escalating suspense, and a protagonist forced to summon inner strength closely mirrors the narrative beats of Carry-On, making it a gripping watch for fans of airport-centric thrillers.
