Carry-On 2024

Ethan Kopek is a TSA officer at Los Angeles International Airport but dreams of being a policeman. His pregnant girlfriend Nora, the operations director of Northwind Airlines at the airport, urges him to follow his dreams, so he asks his boss Phil Sarkowski about a promotion. He’s put in charge of the X-ray machine as a test run. Early in his duties, Ethan is handed an apparently lost earbud, through which The Traveler instructs him to let through a specific passenger, Mateo, or Nora will be killed.

Ethan initially attempts to call the police and later warn a senior colleague, Lionel, using invisible ink on a boarding pass. But the Traveler induces a heart attack and Lionel dies. While Ethan grieves over Lionel’s death, co-worker Jason covers for him and the Traveler demands Kopek to return to his post at the scanner. Ethan switches Jason’s coffee with a cup filled with alcohol, which results in Jason’s dismissal. He lets Mateo and the Traveler’s carry-on through, but grapples with guilt as the Traveler reveals to Ethan he plans to set off the Novichok nerve agent on a Northwind flight.

LAPD detective Elena Cole investigates an arson case where a wiretap suggests plans to deploy Novichok. After learning Ethan’s attempt to call the police, Elena has the police shut down the TSA line and plans to talk with Ethan. Meanwhile, Ethan uses his supervisor’s log-in to include Mateo in the random search and tries to explain the situation to Nora. However, the Watcher directs a sniper rifle at Nora, then the Traveler confronts Ethan in a bathroom. While Ethan manages to overpower the Traveler and threaten him with the Traveler’s gun, the Traveler arms the Novichok to be released through the airport in 10 minutes. The Traveler offers to guide Ethan through the disarming process if he releases him.

Ethan goes to the inspection room with Mateo and the Novichok and points a gun at Sarkowski. Mateo stabs Sarkowski and Ethan manages to disarm the Novichok. Ethan realizes Mateo is also blackmailed as he learns Mateo’s husband, Jesse, is being held captive. As they dispose of Sarkowski’s body in the baggage-sorting area, the Traveler instructs Mateo to kill Ethan. After a struggle, Mateo’s gun blows up and kills him. Ethan uses Mateo’s phone to warn his coworker Eddie about the planned attack.

While traveling to an airport, Cole realizes the man accompanying her is impersonating Agent Alcott. They get into a car crash and she shoots him. Ethan leaves the earbud behind and switches out the Novichok into a larger suitcase, which the Traveler retrieves and instructs the Watcher to kill Nora. Eddie manages to find Nora and attempts to direct her to the police, but the Watcher stabs him and goes after Nora in the terminal carpark. Cole confronts Ethan in the baggage area but he pushes her away to save Nora. Jesse frees himself and shoots the Watcher, revealing to Ethan and Nora that the bag is headed on a different flight to Washington DC, while air traffic control shuts down the wrong terminal. Cole deduces that the Traveler is targeting one of the passengers, Congresswoman Grace Turner, who is traveling incognito on the flight. Her bill is headed for defeat, and the defense contractors, who support the bill, plan an attack on her that could be blamed on the Russians and ensure the bill’s approval.

As the new suitcase is too large, the Traveler has to check the Novichok into the plane’s cargo hold. While Elena plans to ground the flight, Ethan warns that the Traveler would release the Novichok on the plane and instead volunteers to disarm it on board. Ethan gets into the cargo hold, but the Traveler is notified and confronts Ethan. As the plane turns back to the airport. Ethan locks the Traveler in an airtight freezer unit with the Novichok, killing him.

One year later, Ethan, Nora, and their child, plus Jason and his family, are seen passing through security going on vacation to Tahiti. Ethan puts his LAPD badge in the airport tray.