Sofia Carson Says Jason Bateman Is Not ‘Typical’ Villain in ‘Carry-On’ (Exclusive)

Sofia Carson marvels at Jason Bateman’s work in their Netflix action thriller Hand luggage.

In a new digital cover interview with PEOPLE, the 31-year-old actress says “it’s extraordinary to see” Bateman, 55, who is probably better known for comedic roles, “as the bad guy.”

And what’s more, “Jason’s character is not the typical super slim villain,” she adds.

IN Hand luggageBateman plays the traveler, a mysterious man at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) who calls TSA agent Ethan Kopek (Taron Egerton) on Christmas Eve and wants to let a passenger named Mateo (Tonatiuh) through security without marking the contents of his carry-on – or the traveler will have Ethan’s pregnant girlfriend Nora (Carson) killed.

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Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra (Orphan, Jungle cruise, Black Adam) and written by TJ Fixman, the film also features Danielle Deadwyler, Theo Rossi, Logan Marshall-GreenDean Norris, Sinqua Walls and Curtiss Cook in supporting roles.

Carson tells PEOPLE hand luggage, her first action film is “a popcorn delight” and “an epic thriller” that is “an ode to the beloved Die Harda holiday action movie.”

“Nora, my character, has blossomed in life because she’s fearless, she’s brave, she’s brave. She’s the chief of operations at LAX, which is a really big thing for a 29-year-old,” Carson says, adding that Egerton’s character. Ethan, on the other hand, is “stuck in life and he’s stopped believing in himself, but Nora knows who he is and believes that he’s a man, that he’s always been in her eyes , and encourages him to do something.”

“And in the midst of the craziness of Christmas (Eve), Ethan is put in the most impossible of circumstances,” she adds. “He’s blackmailed by our bad guy, Jason Bateman, into allowing a carry-on to pass through security – a carry-on that could affect the lives of hundreds or his girlfriend, me, will be killed. And this is where our very dramatic and exciting adventure begins.”

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The film has its tense sequences, but as Carson explains, “the beauty is that there’s such a comedy woven through it that makes it so funny and so entertaining.”

“Unfortunately, most of my scenes weren’t with Jason. Most of my scenes were more sad and tragic. So not as much of a character break for me,” Descendants The actress tells PEOPLE when asked if Bateman and Egerton, 35, ever made her break up during filming.

She also praises the latter as “a fantastic actor”, adding: “He plays this role so perfectly and the film is beautiful because it is so deeply relatable.”

“It’s not a super slick action movie on purpose. Ethan is everyman and he’s put in an extraordinary situation,” says Carson. “It’s just so cool how it was done. And I think people are going to enjoy it so much.”

Hand luggage now streaming on Netflix.