Greetings again from the darkness. Ever since Bruce Willis’ John McClane ‘Yippee-Ki-Yayed’ his way into saving Christmas in 1988, many filmmakers have tried to latch onto the action-filled Christmas crime drama sub-genre. Of course, none have reached the level of that Nakatomi Plaza classic, and often the biggest miss is in the form of the villain. Alan Rickman’s Hans Gruber is often cited among the all-time best movie villains, and deservedly so. This latest film we welcome to the party comes from director Jaume Collet-Sera (JUNGLE CRUISE, 2021, ORPHAN, 2009) and co-writers TJ Fixman (Ratchet & Crank video game creator) and Michael Green (LOGAN, 2018).
The opening scene finds a mysterious man in a cap destroying a Christmas tree farm, violently taking out the two present workers. We then join Ethan Kopek (Taron Egerton, ROCKETMAN, 2019) and his girlfriend Nora (Sofia Carson, PURPLE HEARTS, 2022) as they celebrate a positive pregnancy test. They both head to work at LAX. She’s employed by an airline, and he’s a TSA Agent. We quickly learn Ethan’s supervisor (Dean Norris) recognizes him as coasting through his job, and subsequently shoots down Ethan’s request for a promotion.
Holiday travel is in full swing, and as Ethan goes about his work, he’s soon being blackmailed and threatened by a direct-speaking, calm-demeanored ‘traveler’ (Jason Bateman, “Ozark”). “One bag for one life.” The direction from the terrorist to Ethan is to just “do nothing” as a particular carry-on bag runs through his security line. The penalty for not following the traveler’s instructions is the death of Nora and the unborn child. There is a fascinating sequence where Ethan’s actions are juxtaposed with the work of Detective Cole (Danielle Deadwyler, excellent in this year’s THE PIANO LESSON). This is followed by one of the more creative and intense on-screen car crashes we’ve seen. It provides quite a visual jolt.
Ethan’s backstory is slowly uncovered here, as is the all-too-real threat of the terrorist and that suitcase. Supporting work is provided by familiar faces Theo Rossi and Logan Marshall-Green, and despite plenty of ‘that could never happen moments’, the film carries enough twists, turns, action, and suspense to keep us engaged. It’s a shame that the climax feels so rushed, yet any film that opens with Bruce Springsteen’s “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” and closes with Darlene Love’s “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” deserves a chance. Just stay away from Contraband Bingo with TSA agents.
Premiering on Netflix December 13, 2024
Posted by David Ferguson 
Greetings again from the darkness. Aubrey Plaza proved during “Parks and Recreation”, and most every role since, that she is nearly unmatched in her ability to deliver blistering one-liners. However, over the last few years, she has expanded her repertoire and has become a fascinating, multi-talented actress who is exciting to watch. The feature film debut of writer-director John Patton Ford provides the opportunity for Ms. Plaza to push her dramatic chops into the world of crime. She not only doesn’t disappoint, she excels.
Movie Reviews from the Dark 