Netflix
The Christmas movie sensation of 2024 isn't "Red One," nor is it any of the other non-Christmasy holiday releases like "Wicked," "Gladiator II" or "Moana 2." Okay, it might be "Hot Frosty." But if it's not "Hot Frosty," it's most assuredly Jaume Collet-Serra's crackerjack action-thriller "Carry-On." Currently streaming on Netflix, "Carry-On" is an unabashed B-movie — Collet-Serra's speciality dating back to programmers like "House of Wax" and "Orphan" — that harkens back to the '80s and '90s era of tightly paced and constructed action flicks like "Die Hard," "Under Siege," and "Speed." These films weren't mega-budget blowouts, but they did have studio-level production value. There were no corners being cut, and no dodgy CGI; you always had the sense that you were watching a big movie made with professional pride. And best of all, you didn't have to plunge into a series of books to get acquainted with the films' larger mythology.
This is why so many people are flipping out over a meat-and-potatoes thriller. It's a self-contained work — something that shouldn't be a rarity, but sadly is due to studios and streamers' obsession with franchising every original movie they make. And one reason it works so well is that it's been cast to perfection, from the hero and the villain (Taron Egerton and Jason Bateman, respectively) down to the supporting cast (we're always stoked to see the likes of Danielle Deadwyler, Dean Norris, and Theo Rossi).
One actor who's drawing a bit of attention is Sofia Carson, who plays Egerton's pregnant girlfriend Nora Parisi. She really pops here, and leaves you wondering where you might've seen her before. Here's why she's ringing a bell or two for you.
Sofia Carson is a Disney star turned Netflix titan
Netflix
Prior to starring in "Carry-On," Carson was probably best known for her portrayal of Evie, the teenage daughter of the Evil Queen from "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" in the Disney Channel live-action musical film "Descendants" (which gave Carson a Billboard Hot 100 single in "Rotten to the Core"). She also voiced the character on the animated spinoff series "Descendants: Wicked World." Before that, she was a guest star on Disney's popular "Austin & Ally."
If you're not a Disney person, it's possible you ran across Carson in the 2020 sci-fi thriller "Songbird," where she starred opposite KJ Apa of "Riverdale." If you skipped that movie because it had a distressing 9% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes, maybe you saw her in the better-reviewed dance comedy "Feel the Beat" (also on Netflix). Most likely, you were a fan of her work in the popular Netflix romance "Purple Hearts," which topped the streamer's viewing charts for a while in 2022 and earned Carson an MTV Movie & TV award for Best Musical Moment.
Carson has obviously become one of Netflix's go-to stars, and the streamer has no interest in letting her get away. In 2025, she'll star in the drama "The Life List" and show off her romantic comedy chops in "My Oxford Year" alongside Corey Mylchreest. No one will be asking "Who is that?" about Carson for long!
English (US) ·