10 Movies Like Carry-on You Must See

Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, Netflix’s ‘Carry-On’ follows the story of an ordinary man who finds himself caught up in extraordinary circumstances. The protagonist is a TSA agent named Ethan Kopek, who is under pressure to do better at his job and career following the news of his girlfriend’s pregnancy. But when a mysterious person threatens to kill his girlfriend, Ethan is forced to let a dangerous bag through the security without flagging it. The action thriller has been praised for its well-thought-out plot and effortless execution, along with the compelling performances from Taron Egerton and Jason Bateman, along with the rest of the cast. If you are looking for more films that deliver the edge-of-the-seat thrill similar to ‘Carry-On,’ then the following films should be your next watch.

10. Passenger 57 (1992)

Directed by Kevin Hooks, ‘Passenger 57’ stars Wesley Snipes as John Cutter, an airline security expert who has to jump into action when the fight that he is on is hijacked by a group of terrorists. The film is a pure action thriller that relies on Snipes’ aura as an action hero to save the day despite all odds. The popcorn thriller is an exciting watch that finds an entertaining balance between action and suspense and keeps the audience engaged throughout. As opposed to the protagonist of ‘Carry-On,’ Snipes’ John Cutter is ready to spring into action, but when it comes to thrilling action sequences, both movies are at par with each other.

9. Non-Stop (2014)

One of the things that works in the favour of ‘Carry-On’ is the experience of its director with thrillers in a single setting. This is why it is advised that you watch Jaume Collet-Serra’s ‘Non-Stop’ starring Liam Neeson. The film follows the story of an air marshal named Bill Marks, who is on a transatlantic flight. Everything seems to be going well until Bill gets a message asking for $150 million. The message also mentions that if the ransom is not paid, one passenger will die every 20 minutes. This puts Bill in a treacherous situation where he has to catch the culprit while trying to save the passengers and, at the same time, try to convince the authorities to pay the ransom. The tension created by this entire ordeal puts a lot of pressure on Bill, and to watch Liam Neeson wade through it all is highly entertaining.

8. Wait Until Dark (1967)

When Ethan Kopek is forced to do the mysterious Traveler’s bidding in ‘Carry-On,’ he has several factors working in his favor. He has full control of his senses, knows the entire airport in and out, and has the aptitude to tackle a situation like this, considering that he wants to be a cop. But in ‘Wait Until Dark,’ Audrey Hepburn’s Susy Hendrix does not have all these advantages. To begin with, she is blind, and her blindness is rather recent, which means that she is still trying to get the hang of her situation. This is when three men break into her apartment, where they believe there is something of great value to them. Thus, Susy has to save herself from the hardened criminals who will not hesitate to her. The film is made more interesting by the fact that Susy turns her apparent weakness into a strength that turns the tables unexpectedly.

7. Phone Booth (2002)

One of the things that sets ‘Carry-On’ apart from general action thrillers is that it puts an entirely inexperienced person in the spotlight. Ethan is a common man who has never dealt with terrorists before, and that makes his journey even more interesting. We see a similar thing in ‘Phone Booth,’ where Colin Farrell plays the role of Stuart Shepard, who is held at gunpoint by a mysterious sniper who forces him to do his bidding. All this while, Stuart is forced to stay confined in the phone booth, talking to his tormentor all this while. Directed by Joel Schumacher, this film captures the thrill of watching a common man try to find his way out of a seemingly impossible situation, making it a thoroughly entertaining watch.

6. The Commuter (2018)

Imagine you are on your daily commute, and you are told to find something for a great reward. If you succeed, the reward is yours, but should you fail, your loved ones will have to pay the price. This is the premise of Jaume Collet-Serra’s ‘The Commuter,’ in which Liam Neeson, once again, finds himself dealing with a mysterious blackmailer, a lot of money, and saving the lives of people, including his family. What Neeson’s Michael MacCauley has in common with Ethan Kopek from ‘Carry-On’ is the career crisis that both characters deal with while trying to save lives and prevent something disastrous from happening, which makes them and their situation highly relatable and the movies enjoyable.

5. Devil (2010)

How many times do you take an elevator in a day? It’s such a normal part of one’s routine that one doesn’t stop to think that one elevator ride can change one’s life. But in John Erick Dowdle’s ‘Devil,’ five people stuck in an elevator together are forever changed. When they enter the elevator, everything is normal, but once the elevator is stuck and the repair is underway, strange things start to happen within the confined space. As the people inside the elevator start to die one by one, the people outside, monitoring the elevator from the CCTV, have to figure out who is killing them. What makes the plot even more interesting is when someone suggests that the deaths are the Devil’s work. The supernatural touch in ‘Devil’ adds more spice to the story. While they go in very different directions, ‘Devil’ and ‘Carry-On’ are woven in the same thread, where the antagonists remain completely unknown, which makes them even more dangerous and the movies more compelling.

4. Red Eye (2005)

In ‘Carry-On,’ what is supposed to be just another day at work for Ethan Kopek turns into a nightmare with the arrival of a mysterious person with nefarious plans. In ‘Red Eye,’ Rachel McAdams’ Lisa also finds herself in a similar situation. When she boards her flight to Miami, she doesn’t give much thought to how her day might turn out. When she starts talking to Jackson (Cillian Murphy), she believes him to be just another normal passenger. But then, he shows his true colors, and Lisa realizes that she must do his bidding in order to stay alive. The contained surroundings of a plane make it impossible for Lisa to escape Jackson, and the performances of Rachel McAdams and Cillian Murphy make it a riveting thriller.

3. 7500 (2019)

In Patrick Vollrath’s ‘7500,’ Joseph Gordon-Levitt appears as a pilot named Tobias Ellis whose plane is hijacked mid-flight. Aware of the delicate nature of the situation, Tobias knows that he cannot allow the terrorists to enter the cockpit because once they take control of the plane, everything will be lost. At the same time, if he doesn’t let them in, they will start killing the passengers and the crew, and there is a personal stake for Tobias because one of the flight attendants is Tobias’ wife. Like Ethan, Tobias has to decide whether the life of the woman he loves is more important than the lives of hundreds of people. Gordon-Levitt’s nuanced performance allows the audience into Tobias’ mind, making them wonder what they would do in his situation. It is this complicated ethical and moral dilemma that makes ‘7500’ a captivating film.

2. Hijack 1971 (2024)

Directed by Kim Sung-han-I, ‘Hijack 1971’ recreates the true events that took place on a South Korean airliner in 1971. It follows the story of pilot Gyu-Sik and copilot Tae-in, who have to do everything in their power to make sure that all their passengers survive the ordeal after the plane is hijacked by a group of terrorists. The pilot also realizes that hard decisions have to be made fast. Otherwise, the situation will get worse, considering that the hijacker who has taken control of the cockpit is threatening to take the plane to North Korea. Like ‘Carry-On,’ the protagonists of ‘Hijack 1971’ are thrust into an inconceivably hard situation where they have to choose between the devil and the deep blue sea. The courage and sacrifice of the pilots and the passengers make it a harrowing but inspiring watch.

1. Flightplan (2005)

The thrill of not knowing what’s going to happen next is a huge factor in making ‘Carry-On’ a worthwhile watch. The movie relies heavily on unexpected twists and turns to catch the audience off-guard just when they think they have the plot figured out. Robert Schwentke’s ‘Flightplan’ employs a similar tactic. Starring Jodie Foster, the film follows the story of a woman named Kyle Pratt who boards a plane with her daughter from Berlin. Sometime after the takeoff, she discovers that her daughter has gone missing, but when she reports it to the flight’s crew, they say that she never boarded the flight with her daughter. As Kyle tries to find her daughter, she uncovers many secrets, and the revelations are something that you will never see coming.