heykateforever

Call it Carry-On or call it the next Die Hard movie series, this movie will have you on the edge of your seat the entire time! It's about time Netflix has a thriller that really IS a thriller. Carry-On has a bunch of actors I have never heard of, but Jason Bateman picked a winner when he chose this movie! He plays a despicable bad guy you just want to die over and over again in his genius way of folding into this character with his calm but evil demeanor.

I don't want to give anything away to spoil this Die-Hard-like movie, but if you are looking for a fresh new truly terrifying thriller, Carry-On is that and more. All of the actors are fantastic in their portrayals. A name I have not heard, Taron Everton plays Bruce Willis' John McClane part, is right on target. He's much lower-keyed than Willis' McClane, but pulls off the nerve-wracking part he plays with excellence.

This does not take place at Christmas, just so there will be no squabbling over whether it's a Christmas movie or not. However, I guarantee you I will be watching this movie again and again just like I used to watch the Die-Hard movies. Two thumbs up FINALLY for Netflix giving us a truly popcorn-eating thriller! It's about time they gave us an American movie this good. I am frankly tired of all the slow moving, dubbed foreign so-called thrillers. And Netflix? If you DON'T make this one a franchise? Then maybe I just be done with you and cancel you altogether! Definitely a must-see movie this holiday season.

Update: 12/14/2024: My husband corrected me and said it DOES take place the day before Christmas. Mea culpa!! I never even noticed the Christmas theme in this movie! It wasn't central to the plot. Lots of negative feedback from you all. I guess I committed fan unfavor by saying it was the new Die Hard. JMHO.

Besides the soaring music, the gorgeous beauty wherever this was filmed, the length that should have been shortened at least by one episode, and one star deducted because it should have been shortened up a bit. This show from Spain was a wonderful story, filled with heart and a story that wouldn't let me go. I have a tough time these days finding a movie or series that is worth my time investment. It was a joy to find this show that danced between honest emotions and, at times, edge of your seat fear. The acting was superb. The male lead did an admirable job of keeping the character just inches from the edge of madness. The entire cast was superb, including the children.

The cinematography was excellent. The story will fool you. You might think it is jumping all over the place. But just when you think you can not take another jump, it resolves in a way that is so amazing! This series is a diamond amongst so much garbage being made these days of irritating wokeness. It wasn't about politics, or any of the current correctness permeating nearly every movie or show I watch. It was simply a great story with scares, police mystery, and a little paranormal - just enough to be believable, interesting, and very good. And a story of great love. Hard to find all of that wrapped up into one series these days. Definitely recommended!

Most of what I saw in this movie has already, in just a few reviews, been said. For me? The script could have been reworked and maybe a decent movie could have come out of it. But the whole first 25 minutes of this movie concentrates on Chris Cole's mindless and terrible mental abuse of the character, Zara Ford. He is so absolutely horrible to her that I found myself thinking he is a woman hating man who never outgrew his teens.

Then, she finally, to my relief, quits the job and decides to move on. So far, there was a lot of material to work with.

Suddenly, Chris goes to Zara's house and meets her mother, Brooke Harwood. And here is where this movie fell off the rails in a way I have never seen in a Rom/Com. So, Chris, Played by Zac Efron, meets the Mom and within minutes they are kissing. I'm not sure I can do the mess of this script Justice here, but I'll try. When I found out Chris was supposed to be significantly younger than Brooke, I was stunned. NO WAY!! Suddenly, somehow, this child man grows up and falls in love with Brooke, the mother of Zara who spent 2 years being unspeakably abused by the man child. I'm sorry, what started out promising? Ended up unbelieavable.

So, Nicole Kidman played the mother who, for reasons I do not understand, falls in love in one scene with this man who has been verbally abusing her daughter for two years? Huh? She definitely should have passed on this movie! Two different actors and a massive rewrite might have changed the dynamic. Kathy Bates could not save this terrible movie. Miscast, badly written, poorly executed. The actress who played Zara was the only truly good actor in this film. Pass this one by. So sad to see so much talent wasted on a bad script, poor directing, and overall unbelievable story. I gave it a two, which it didn't deserve, because I just could not give so much wasted talent a one star. That makes as much sense as this movie!!! Just wish I could unsee this one!