What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedCarry-On
Jaume Collet-Serra · Film · 2024
If you loved Carry-On, start with Hijack (George Kay, 2023) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 books, 1 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to Carry-On across media.
If you enjoyed the claustrophobic dread of Carry-On, you will find these high-stakes stories capture that same relentless, ticking-clock intensity.
Books on the same thread
Tailspin
Sandra Brown · Book
Shares a thread with Carry-On: high stakes.
Like the forced partnership in Carry-On, this story traps you in a web of conspiracy where every decision carries lethal weight and no one can be trusted.
With a Vengeance
Riley Sager · Book
Explores: Revenge, Deception, Class conflict.
The murder mystery on a luxury train mirrors the isolated tension of Carry-On, placing you in a confined space where a single error leads to total catastrophe.
Falling
T. J. Newman · Book · 2021
Shares a thread with Carry-On: Moral Dilemma.
This novel echoes the moral dilemma at the heart of Carry-On, forcing you to confront the impossible choices made when innocent lives are held hostage by dangerous extremists.
Pieces of Her
Karin Slaughter · Book
Explores: hidden past, maternal secrets, identity crisis.
Much like the unraveling secrets in Carry-On, this narrative pulls you into a desperate race against time to protect those you love from a hidden, violent past.
Series on the same thread
Hijack
George Kay · Series · 2023
Shares a thread with Carry-On: High Stakes.
If the high-stakes negotiation in Carry-On kept you on edge, this series will satisfy your craving for real-time crisis management where every second counts toward survival.
Podcasts on the same thread
CounterClock
Audiochuck · Podcast · 2025
Explores: unsolved homicide, seeking justice, historical mystery.
This investigative journey mirrors the obsessive pursuit of truth found in Carry-On, demanding that you piece together fragmented clues to solve a dangerous, long-buried mystery.
Passenger List
Passenger List and Radiotopia · Podcast · 2025
The mystery of a vanished flight provides the same aviation-based tension seen in Carry-On, driving you to uncover the truth behind a tragedy that feels deeply personal.
Common questions
Is Carry-On a holiday-themed movie?
Yes, Carry-On is set during Christmas Eve. The plot centers on an airport security officer who is forced to let a dangerous item pass through security screening during the busy holiday travel period.
What is the premise of Carry-On?
Carry-On follows an airport security officer who must outsmart a mysterious traveler. The traveler is coercing the officer to allow a dangerous item onto a flight, creating a high-stakes situation that unfolds during the Christmas Eve timeframe.
Who directed the 2024 film Carry-On?
The 2024 film Carry-On was directed by Jaume Collet-Serra. The movie focuses on a tense confrontation between an airport security officer and a mysterious traveler involving a dangerous item on a Christmas Eve flight.
Does Carry-On involve a flight scenario?
Yes, the plot of Carry-On revolves around an airport security officer attempting to prevent a dangerous item from being smuggled onto a flight. The entire conflict takes place in the context of a Christmas Eve departure.