'Carry-On' film conjures airport anxieties of the holiday season

For actor Taron Egerton, the Netflix action film "Carry-On" pays homage to Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers and their on-the-job struggles, especially during the holiday season.

"Our movie is absolutely a kind of spiritual salute to those guys, so I really hope that they feel good about it when they see it," Egerton told Reuters.

Egerton stars in the movie as TSA agent Ethan Kopek, who is searching for direction in his life with encouragement from his girlfriend, Nora Parisi, played by Sofia Carson.

The film, directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, also stars Danielle Deadwyler as Elena Cole, an FBI agent.

The story follows Kopek as he is enlisted by a devious stranger, played by Jason Bateman, to help pass a dangerous package through security and onto a flight that departs on Christmas Day.

"Carry-On," the first film to emerge from the collaboration between Netflix and Steven Spielberg's Amblin Partners, will be available on Netflix on Friday.

Cast member Taron Egerton attends a premiere for the film "Carry-On" at The Egyptian Theatre Hollywood in Los Angeles, California, U.S., December 5, 2024. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni

For Deadwyler, the film resonates with anyone who caught a flight during the holiday season.

"Christmas is chaos. The airport is chaos," she said.

"This is a dope experience to bring people back into a kind of nostalgia that they've had with past Christmas action films," she added, comparing "Carry-On" to the film "Die Hard."

Cast members Danielle Deadwyler, Taron Egerton, Jason Bateman and Sofia Carson attend a premiere for the film "Carry-On" at The Egyptian Theatre Hollywood in Los Angeles, California, U.S., December 5, 2024. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni

Egerton and Carson modeled real-life TSA agents and airport workers to make the movie more realistic.

"As part of my prep, I got to shadow a director of airport operations in the New Orleans airport for a few days," Carson said.

"It's not an easy feat to make an airport run or to be a TSA agent," she added.

Cast member Jason Bateman attends a premiere for the film "Carry-On" at The Egyptian Theatre Hollywood in Los Angeles, California, U.S., December 5, 2024. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni

Deadwyler echoed this, saying that the film goes beyond its action scenes and delves into people's humanity and the importance of compassion.

"Everybody at the airport needs love, support, and compassion for the work they do because it's not just on holidays that they're dealing with all of us and our anxieties," she said.