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Tom Cruise’s 16 Best Performances: From ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ to ‘Magnolia’

By Clayton Davis

Clayton Davis

Senior Awards Editor

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With six decades around the sun, Tom Cruise still feels the need for speed and has crafted himself into one of the most successful and undeniably talented movie stars of his generation.

Variety is ranking his 15 best film performances to celebrate the actor’s 60th birthday.

With a breakthrough that started in the coming-of-age film “Risky Business” (1983), the Syracuse, N.Y.-born actor became a darling of Hollywood and consumer audiences around the world. As Joseph Kosinski’s “Top Gun: Maverick” still goes strong, making more than half a billion dollars domestically, Cruise has continued to etch himself into the cultural zeitgeist, crossing multiple generations.

Also a producer, Cruise has continued to elevate the entertainment medium with the “Mission: Impossible” franchise, which began in 1995. With five very successful sequels and two more on the way, he continues to push the boundaries for himself as a fearless stuntman and an advocate for the silver screen.

A career that only the most daring actors and creatives can dream of, Cruise has worked alongside two best actor winners — Paul Newman (“The Color of Money”) and Dustin Hoffman (“Rain Man”) — and has earned himself three Oscar nominations in “Born on the Fourth of July” (1989), “Jerry Maguire” (1996) and “Magnolia” (1999). But it hasn’t been about the accolades for Cruise. In May 2021, he returned his three Golden Globe Awards after the expose on the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s lack of diversity, specifically no Black members.

Cruise’s films have grossed over $10 billion dollars worldwide and there are no signs of slowing down. Will he ever win a coveted Oscar? That remains to be seen, but the narrative is there if the Academy rewards an upcoming project.

Read Variety’s list of Tom Cruise’s best performances below:

Honorable mentions : “Far and Away” (1992); “The Last Samurai” (2003); “Rock of Ages” (2012)

Edge of Tomorrow (2014)

EDGE OF TOMORROW, Tom Cruise, 2014. ph: David James/©Warner Bros. Pictures/courtesy Everett Collection

Role: Major William Cage

Director: Doug Liman Writers: Christopher McQuarrie, Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth Distributor: Warner Bros.

The scene that proves it: Getting the device from Brigham

Kicking ass, taking names, then rinse and repeat. A military major goes through a “Groundhog Day” loop but it’s Cruise that ensures it’s not a gimmick, slithering into each scene with charm, raw magnetism and wonderful chemistry with an awards-worthy Emily Blunt. The science-fiction drama has been all too undervalued. Doug Liman’s thriller shows more than special effects and explosions. It also presents capable and talented stars at the helm, which makes all the difference.

Risky Business (1983)

RISKY BUSINESS, Tom Cruise, 1983, © Warner Brothers/courtesy Everett Collection

Role: Joel Goodson

Director: Paul Brickman Writer: Paul Brickman Distributor: Warner Bros.

The scene that proves it: Dancing to “Old Time Rock & Roll”

All it took was a button-down shirt, briefs and a Bob Seger track to make Tom Cruise one of the defining movie stars of his generation. In Paul Brickman’s directorial debut, Cruise’s turn in the teen comedy was as culturally massive as it was monetarily successful. With lots of praise also going to his co-star Rebecca DeMornay, this is just as enjoyable as any film that ranks in the listing.

Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

Role : Lieutenant Pete “Maverick” Mitchell

Director : Joseph Kosinski

Writers : Peter Craig, Justin Marks, Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer, Christopher McQuarrie (based on characters created by Jim Cash and Jack Epps Jr.)

Distributor : Paramount Pictures

The scene that proves it : “Maverick’s Test Run”

Cruise’s 80s high-flying sequel feels like it saved the movies. His return to “Maverick,” his beloved character has showmanship, charisma and the ability to shoot down planes with the enemy’s plane. Having great chemistry with his co-stars, particularly Miles Teller and Jennifer Connelly, Cruise is only getting better as he gets older.

Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994)

Role: Lestat de Lioncourt

Director: Neil Jordan Writer: Anne Rice (based on “Interview with the Vampire” by Anne Rice) Distributor: Warner Bros.

The scene that proves it: “Claudia, you’ve been a very, naughty little girl.”

As the sinister and entrancing Lestat, Cruise hypnotized the audience with his soft-spoken flirtations with the living while persuading them to join the undead. Alongside memorable turns from Brad Pitt and a young Kirsten Dunst, Neil Jordan’s horror adaptation of the Anne Rice novel is still a popular selection.

The Firm (1993)

THE FIRM, From left: Jean Tripplehorn, Tom Cruise, 1993. © Paramount Pictures/courtesy Everett Collection

Role: Mitch McDeere

Director: Sydney Pollack Writers: David Rabe, Robert Towne, David Rayfiel (based on “The Firm” by John Grisham) Distributor: Paramount Pictures

The scene that proves it: “Did you ever think I would make a six-figure salary?”

Sydney Pollack’s invigorating legal thriller boasts an all-star cast and a dynamic Cruise as lawyer Mitch McDeere. While also featuring my personal favorite Tom Cruise signature run as he chases down his movie wife Jeanne Tripplehorn, the adaptation of the John Grisham novel was a box office success and even pulled in an acting nom for his co-star Holly Hunter.

Mission: Impossible (1995)

Role: Ethan Hunt

Director: Brian De Palma Writers: David Koepp, Robert Towne, Steven Zaillian (based on “Mission: Impossible” by Bruce Geller) Distributor: Paramount Pictures

The scene that proves it: “You’ve never seen me upset.”

The spy thriller from Brian De Palma still holds up almost 30 years later. Likewise, the action franchise that’s still going (with two more films on the way) keeps on delivering, thanks to Tom Cruise.

The cinematic remake of the classic television series has spawned multiple territories, generating massive revenue and showing Cruise’s defining action star beats, jaw-dropping stunts and magical smiles that have a way with the ladies as Ethan Hunt.

Keep dropping from those ceilings, Tom.

Rain Man (1988)

Role: Charlie Babbitt

Director: Barry Levinson Writers: Barry Morrow, Ronald Bass Distributor: MGM/UA

The scene that proves it: “You’re the Rain Man?”

The best picture winner of his arsenal, alongside an Oscar-winning turn from Dustin Hoffman, the film stands as one that hindsight has allowed us to rediscover as one of the bright spots of his filmography. If only Oscar were willing to recognize two leading actors as they did earlier that decade with “Amadeus.” Cruise would have made a fine addition.

Collateral (2004)

COLLATERAL, Tom Cruise, 2004, (c) DreamWorks/courtesy Everett Collection

Role: Vincent

Director: Michael Mann Writer: Stuart Beattie Distributor: DreamWorks Pictures

The scene that proves it: Searching in the club.

At best a co-lead to Jamie Foxx (who was nominated for best supporting actor in one of the most recent cases of category fraud), Cruise’s silver fox Vincent in Michael Mann’s thriller is an underrated delivery. He sends chills down the spine, moving like a shark through a club and listening to his prey with a mischievous grin. He keeps us at the edge of our seats, before finally allowing us to exhale by the end of the credits.

Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

Role: Bill Harford

Director: Stanley Kubrick Writers: Stanley Kubrick, Frederic Raphael (based on “Traumnovelle” by Arthur Schnitzler) Distributor: Warner Bros.

The scene that proves it: Listening to the story about Cape Cod.

Under the thumb of Stanley Kubrick and his final outing with his then-wife, Nicole Kidman, Cruise dives into the erotic drama that feels among the actor’s bravest character outings. Marking the last directorial outing of Kubrick, you can feel the ripple of his legacy hanging on the words of each of Cruise and Kidman’s interactions or in the defined stare as one pours their heart out to another.

Top Gun (1986)

Director : Tony Scott

Writers : Jim Cash, Jack Epps Jr. (based on “Top Guns” by Ehud Yonay

The scene that proves it : Tossing Goose’s dog tags.

Cruise feels the need… the need for speed in Tony Scott’s pulse-pounding action flick — a cemented classic in the 1980s. His undeniable charisma led to the following post-release and now has the global cinematic world taking in its sequel “Maverick” to more than half a billion dollars. There’s always been something about Maverick tossing Goose’s (Anthony Edwards) dog tags overboard following his death that always struck a chord.

Tropic Thunder (2008)

Role: Les Grossman

Director: Ben Stiller Writers: Justin Theroux, Ben Stiller, Etan Cohen Distributor: Paramount Pictures / DreamWorks Pictures

The scene that proves it: “G5”

It’s a transformation of epic proportions in Ben Stiller’s classic comedy. While Robert Downey Jr. received the lion’s share of praise, earning an Oscar nom for supporting actor, Cruise could only muster a Golden Globe nom for his turn as Hollywood producer Les Grossman. Screaming one-liners and a dance finale that still makes the world chuckle, it stands as his single best comedic outing.

Jerry Maguire (1996)

Editorial use only. No book cover usage.Mandatory Credit: Photo by Columbia Tri Star/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock (5884614x)Tom CruiseJerry Maguire - 1996Director: Cameron CroweColumbia Tri StarUSAScene StillComedy/KBLDRAMA

Role: Jerry Maguire

Director: Cameron Crowe Writer: Cameron Crowe Distributor: Sony Pictures

The scene that proves it: “You complete me.”

Writer and director Cameron Crowe pulled a movie star performance out of Tom Cruise for his sports agent dramedy. As the titular character, he lights up the screen with his Oscar-winning co-star Cuba Gooding Jr. and the Oscar-snubbed Renée Zellweger in a finale that had people quoting it for decades. And let’s not forget “Show me the money” and its stapled place in movie history.

A Few Good Men (1992)

Role: Lieutenant Daniel Kaffee

Director: Rob Reiner Writer: Aaron Sorkin (based on “A Few Good Men” by Aaron Sorkin) Distributor: Columbia Pictures

The scene that proves it: “I want the truth…”

Cruise is entitled to answers in Rob Reiner’s courtroom drama, maneuvering prominent personalities and moments alongside Jack Nicholson, Demi Moore and Kevin Pollack. Although nominated for best picture, Cruise’s work was passed over in lead actor. His defender of marines standing trial, under the words of Aaron Sorkin and one of his finest writing efforts, Cruise soars to new heights.

Minority Report (2002)

Role: John Anderton

Director: Steven Spielberg Writers: Scott Frank, Jon Cohen (based on “The Minority Report” by Philip K. Dick) Distributor: 20th Century Fox (now 20th Century Studios)

The scene that proves it: Listening to Abigail about Sean’s life.

It’s a quiet and commanding standout in Cruise’s filmography when looking back on Cruise’s work in Steven Spielberg’s futuristic drama. However, as John Anderton, a police officer trying to clear his name for a murder he has yet to commit, it’s Cruise’s precise choice of listening to Abigail (played by a magnificent Samantha Morton) that breaks the heart in two.

Born on the Fourth of July (1989)

BORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY, Tom Cruise, 1989. ©Universal/courtesy Everett Collection

Role: Ron Kovic

Director: Oliver Stone Writers: Oliver Stone, Ron Kovic (based on “Born on the Fourth of July” by Kovic) Distributor: Universal Pictures

The scene that proves it: “I love America.”

Oscar-winning director Oliver Stone introduced what Cruise could achieve beyond sliding floors and jet planes. His Vietnam veteran spans years, with each chapter feeling authentic and layered. The film was nominated for best picture and earned Cruise his first Oscar nom for best actor.

Magnolia (1999)

MAGNOLIA, Tom Cruise, Jason Robards Jr., 1999

Role: Frank T.J. Mackey

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson Writer: Paul Thomas Anderson Distributor: New Line Cinema

The scene that proves it: “I hate you.”

Pouring in every ounce of himself, Cruise’s Oscar-nominated performance is (currently) the last time he’s been recognized by the Academy, and it stands as his finest hour in Paul Thomas Anderson’s mosaic drama. Full of life, energy and heartache, he invites the viewer on the journey, fearless in his interpretation and perfect in his execution.

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The Best Tom Cruise Movies of All Time, Ranked

Celebrate the greatest performances by the age-proof actor.

Tim Appelo,

tom cruise looks up while working on fixing a car in a scene from the film top gun maverick

Most movie stars fall off the A-list as they age, and most movie franchises get worse, especially after the sixth sequel. But Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One (opening July 12) has the highest Rotten Tomatoes critics score of his career. Not bad for a 61-year-old who already made history — and, as Steven Spielberg told Tom, saved the movie industry — in 2022 with Top Gun: Maverick . Not every one of his 40-plus movies is worth revisiting ( Rock of Ages , anyone? Cocktail ?), but the best of the batch are American classics. Welcome to Tom Cruise’s top 10 movies of all time, ranked.

10. A Few Good Men (1992)

In one of history’s great acting duels, Cruise, as a callow military defense attorney trying to save two recruits accused of murder, faces formidable officer Jack Nicholson, who bellows, “You can't handle the truth!” Aaron Sorkin wrote this dazzling courtroom drama on cocktail napkins at his bartender job, and it made him famous enough to create The West Wing and The Social Network.

Watch it here: Prime Video , Apple TV

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tom cruise shooting a cue ball at a pool table in the film the color of money

9. The Color of Money (1986)

Another duel, between Cruise as a young pool shark and Paul Newman as Fast Eddie Felson on a comeback. Newman got an Oscar nomination as young Fast Eddie in 1961's must-see The Hustler and won the Oscar for this — partly because of Cruise’s star-power support.

8. Born on the Fourth of July (1989)

After six years as a megastar, Cruise got his first Oscar nomination in Oliver Stone’s adaptation of Ron Kovic’s memoir about the Vietnam War and his campaign against it. Once again, Cruise’s fiery genius helped win an Oscar — this time for director Stone.

Watch it here: Prime Video , Apple TV , Google Play

7. Collateral (2004)

In a beautifully moody Michael Mann thriller set in East L.A. after dark, when coyotes and furtive people wander the streets, Jamie Foxx is a cabdriver who picks up Cruise, the nattiest assassin you ever saw. His fare is hundreds of thousands of dollars, and all he has to do is help kill five trial witnesses — and survive.

Watch it here: Paramount Movies

6. Minority Report (2002)

In a grown-up role for a forever-young star, Cruise plays a high-tech cop who busts perps before they commit the crime. When director Steven Spielberg adapted this paranoid futuristic tale by sci-fi master Philip K. Dick ( Blade Runner ), he said, “I’m in my mid-50s — I’m no longer afraid of the dark.” Cruise doesn’t crack his famous smile, and as a result you take him dead seriously in a dark, smart thriller.

Watch it here: Prime Video , Apple TV , YouTube

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5. Mission: Impossible — Fallout (2018)

All the Mission Impossible flicks are fine, but the sixth’s the second-best, partly because Cruise’s Ethan Hunt is a guy in his 50s — after stunts, he hurts like we do (Cruise actually broke his ankle on camera). Ethan hunts plutonium terrorists, races through Paris and London, skydives (warning another diver not to open the chute late or “the last thing that goes through your mind will be your knees") and pilots a chopper spinning out of control inches from snowy Asian mountaintops. What a ride! What a buildup of tension and sublime release!

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4. Rain Man (1988)

Cruise plays a selfish California cad forced to go on a road trip with a sweet, idiot-savant older brother he never knew (Dustin Hoffman) to try to cash in on their father’s inheritance and use the older brother’s odd gift to win big in Vegas . Again, everybody but Cruise got Oscars (for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay), and they owe it partly to his supportive genius.

Watch it here: Prime Video , Apple TV , YouTube

3. Risky Business (1983)

In a brilliant, generation-defining youth comedy that Roger Ebert put on a par with The Graduate, Cruise is as good as Dustin Hoffman was in the hit that made him a star. Sliding on socks into his first iconic scene in his underpants while belting out “Old Time Rock ‘n’ Roll,” Cruise instantly hit the A-list and never left.

Watch it here: Paramount+

2. Jerry Maguire (1996)

Cruise's second-greatest achievement is his rebelliously idealistic sports agent Jerry, who quits his firm, champions an underdog client (Cuba Gooding Jr.) and courts his accountant colleague (Renee Zellweger) — he had her at “Hello.” The deeply authentic romantic comedy (that’s also slick as a pop tune) got Gooding an Oscar, plus nominations for Best Actor (Cruise), Best Picture and Best Screenplay (for writer-director Cameron Crowe , who wrote it as a critique of his movie-biz experience).

Watch it here: Prime Video , Apple TV

1. Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

The last movie star on earth soars in his biggest hit ever, grossing $1.48 billion by putting viewers in the seat of an F-18 at Mach 10. A rare sequel that tops the original, 1986’s Top Gun (which is Tom’s 11th-best movie ever), this flyboy epic’s success was propelled by grown-up viewers , who loved seeing their hero unscathed by age: Cruise was 60 when the film came out, the same age Paul Newman was when he played Cruise’s pool-shark mentor in The Color of Money.

Watch it here: Paramount+ , Prime Video

Tim Appelo covers entertainment and is the film and TV critic for AARP. Previously, he was the entertainment editor at Amazon, video critic at Entertainment Weekly , and a critic and writer for The Hollywood Reporter, People , MTV, The Village Voice and LA Weekly .

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The 40+ Best Tom Cruise Movies, Ranked By Fans

Vote up the films starring Tom Cruise that complete you.

When it comes to Hollywood royalty, few can hold a candle to Tom Cruise. Over the years, this megastar has delivered one jaw-dropping performance after another, solidifying his place as a cinematic legend. It's a formidable task to narrow down the best Tom Cruise movies of all time, but hey, someone's got to do it. From high-octane action flicks to soul-stirring dramas, Cruise's filmography is as versatile as it is impressive.

Take, for instance, Top Gun , the adrenaline-pumping story of competitive fighter pilots that catapulted Cruise to international stardom. Or A Few Good Men , where he delivered one of his most powerful performances, proving that he could handle weighty dialogues with the same ease as he does action-packed sequences. These films are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to top Tom Cruise films that have left an indelible mark on cinema.

But how did we curate such a coveted list? Well, it started with movie experts who have an eye for performances that define careers, creating a shortlist of films that truly showcase Tom Cruise at his best. Then, we turned it over to the fans, whose votes have shaped this definitive ranking. Whether you're a die-hard Cruise fan or just a movie buff looking to revisit some cinematic gold, this list has got you covered.

As an adrenaline-pumping display of aerial combat and rivalry, this movie takes viewers into the world of elite fighter pilots, with the lead actor embodying the brash, fearless pilot Pete "Maverick" Mitchell. The audience follows Maverick's journey through the prestigious Top Gun Naval Fighter Weapons School as he battles his own ego, engages in astonishing dogfights, and learns the true meaning of teamwork. The sizzling on-screen chemistry with Kelly McGillis, the thrilling action sequences, and the beloved rendition of " Take My Breath Away " make it an unforgettable 80s classic.

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A Few Good Men

In this tense courtroom drama, audiences are captivated by the exceptional performance as a young military lawyer assigned to defend two Marines accused of killing a fellow comrade. Alongside powerful performances from Jack Nicholson and Demi Moore, the film flawlessly showcases the protagonist's gradual transformation from a cocky, fresh-faced attorney into a fierce, skilled advocate determined to uncover the truth. The iconic line "You can't handle the truth!" immortalizes the film's memorable climax and solidifies the protagonist's status as one of Hollywood's most dynamic actors.

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Top Gun: Maverick

Returning to the iconic role of Pete "Maverick" Mitchell after decades, the anticipation for this sequel has been immense, and it promises to deliver the same captivating thrills and aerial combat sequences of the original. As a mentor to the next generation of fighter pilots, including the son of his late best friend Goose, the protagonist guides these young talents while still facing his own personal demons and unresolved past. The combination of a compelling storyline, breathtaking stunts, and a nostalgic return to the character that made him a household name ensures this will be another hit.

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The lead character delivers a heart-wrenching performance as Charlie Babbitt, a hustler who discovers he has an autistic savant brother named Raymond after their father's death. Through their cross-country road trip, Charlie learns to appreciate the gentle genius of his older brother while he evolves from a selfish, money-driven man to a compassionate and loving brother. This emotional journey resulted in a Best Actor nomination, and the film itself won numerous awards, including Best Picture, highlighting the powerful and touching bond between the two main characters.

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Mission: Impossible

In the role of super-spy Ethan Hunt, the leading man had audiences on the edge of their seats with the thrilling action and elaborate plots of this espionage thriller series. As Hunt, he displays an unrivaled level of physicality and commitment to his craft, performing most of his own stunts, resulting in a rollercoaster ride of adventure and suspense for moviegoers. The franchise has become synonymous with jaw-dropping stunts, twisty plots, and an evolving ensemble cast that perfectly complements the main character's charisma and determination.

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Jerry Maguire

In this romantic dramedy, the audience witnesses a sports agent's fall from grace and subsequent redemption through his relationship with his sole client and love interest. Audiences are charmed by the stunning performances, emotional vulnerability, and undeniable chemistry between the characters, as well as the classic line, "You complete me." The film earned the lead actor an Academy Award nomination and remains an enduring favorite for its heartwarming relationships, brilliant dialogue, and bittersweet exploration of ambition and love.

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Edge of Tomorrow

Featuring a mix of action-packed sequences, science fiction elements, and dark humor, this film showcases the protagonist as a reluctant hero, forced to live the same day repeatedly while fighting alien invaders. The compelling story of survival and personal growth, alongside the intriguing concept of time loops, make this an unforgettable cinematic experience. Supported by a strong performance from Emily Blunt, this thrilling, fast-paced adventure cements its status as a modern sci-fi classic.

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Minority Report

Set in a dystopian future where crime is predicted and prevented by a specialized police force, this Steven Spielberg-directed sci-fi thriller sees the lead actor as a detective accused of a crime he has yet to commit. With its unique premise, thought-provoking themes, and stunning visuals, the film became an instant classic and served as a showcase for the protagonist's range and versatility as an actor. The combination of gripping storytelling, groundbreaking special effects, and a strong ensemble cast cement its status as one of the best sci-fi films of the 21st century.

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The Last Samurai

Set in 19th-century Japan, this epic historical drama follows the journey of Capt. Nathan Algren, an American military officer who becomes deeply immersed in the samurai culture. The protagonist brilliantly portrays a tortured soul seeking redemption and finding it through his connection with the titular warriors, resulting in a soulful and emotional performance. Aesthetically stunning and emotionally engaging, this film is impressively crafted and features outstanding performances from Ken Watanabe and the rest of the cast.

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Risky Business

As the high school senior who turns his family's home into a brothel after getting involved with a call girl, the lead actor delivers a charming and iconic performance that launched his career as a Hollywood heartthrob. The famous scene of the character dancing in his underwear to " Old Time Rock and Roll " has become a pop-culture staple, and the film itself remains a beloved 80s classic. With its unique blend of teen angst, dark comedy, and romance, this coming-of-age story showcases the beginnings of a truly remarkable talent.

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In this gripping adaptation of John Grisham's best-selling novel, the protagonist plays an ambitious young lawyer who becomes entangled in a dangerous web of deceit and corruption at his prestigious law firm. The intense plot and stellar performances from the ensemble cast, including Gene Hackman, Holly Hunter, and David Strathairn, keep the audience absorbed and guessing until the very end. The smart script, thrilling twists, and central performance make it a must-watch for legal thriller enthusiasts and fans of the leading man alike.

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Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol

The fourth installment in the adrenaline-fueled franchise sees the protagonist perform even more heart-stopping stunts, including scaling the world's tallest building, Dubai's Burj Khalifa, further solidifying his reputation as a fearless action star. With a fresh team of dynamic actors, including Simon Pegg and Paula Patton, this film raises the stakes and balances its thrilling action with lighter moments of humor. Picking up where its predecessors left off, the film delivers an exhilarating, globetrotting adventure that leaves audiences eager for more.

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Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation

The fifth installment of the popular action franchise sees the protagonist reprise his role as Ethan Hunt, this time facing a powerful, clandestine organization known as the Syndicate. With incredible stunts, including a breathtaking underwater sequence and a thrilling motorcycle chase, the lead actor continues to push the boundaries of what's possible in action cinema. Alongside new additions to the cast such as Rebecca Ferguson and Sean Harris, this thrilling adventure offers non-stop excitement and intrigue that maintains the high standards of the series.

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Interview with the Vampire (1994)

Portraying the tormented vampire Lestat in this adaptation of Anne Rice's novel, the protagonist delivers a mesmerizing and seductive performance that captivated audiences worldwide. Sharing the screen with Brad Pitt and a young Kirsten Dunst, the actor's portrayal of an immortal craving companionship and grappling with the morality of his actions is both chilling and heartbreaking. Though controversial at the time for its dark themes and explicit content, the film has since become a cult classic, showcasing a different side of the leading man's abilities.

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Mission: Impossible - Fallout

In his sixth turn as super-spy Ethan Hunt, the main character's commitment to performing his own stunts reaches new heights with a harrowing high-altitude-low-opening (HALO) jump. Additionally, the film's electric helicopter chase and intense fight sequences showcase the actor's relentless dedication to delivering pulse-pounding action. With a gripping storyline that delves deeper into the personal life of Hunt and an exhilarating finale, this entry is widely regarded as one of the best in the long-running series.

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In a rare turn as the villain, the lead actor plays a cold and calculating contract killer in this crime thriller directed by Michael Mann. Sharing the screen with Jamie Foxx's unsuspecting taxi driver, the actor's menacing performance offers a fascinating look into the psyche of his character and contrasts sharply with the vulnerable, heroic roles that have defined his career. With its gritty atmosphere, taut pacing, and unforgettable performances, the film stands as a testament to the versatility and range of the protagonist.

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Days of Thunder

Reuniting with the Top Gun director, the protagonist stars as hotshot NASCAR driver Cole Trickle in this high-octane racing drama. With thrilling race sequences and an exploration of the competitive world of stock car racing, the movie allows the lead character to demonstrate his undeniable screen presence and physical prowess. The electrifying on-screen chemistry between the actor and his future wife, Nicole Kidman, adds to the allure of this compelling sports drama.

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The Outsiders

Based on the classic novel by S.E. Hinton, this coming-of-age drama set in the 1960s features the lead actor as part of an ensemble cast that includes Matt Dillon, Patrick Swayze, and Rob Lowe, among others. As the youngest member of the "Greasers" gang and the brother of Ralph Macchio's Johnny, the actor delivers a tender performance that showcases his talent at an early age. The film has since become a cult classic, with its heartfelt portrayal of friendship, loyalty, and the trials of growing up.

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The Color of Money

In this sequel to the 1961 classic The Hustler, the lead character plays pool protegé Vincent Lauria, who is mentored by Paul Newman's "Fast" Eddie Felson. A dynamic on-screen duo, they brilliantly convey the tension and rivalry between their characters, making for a compelling examination of ambition, redemption, and the cost of success. The film stands as a worthy follow-up to its predecessor, with a superb performance that further cemented the protagonist's status as a versatile leading man.

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Jack Reacher

Adapted from Lee Child's bestselling novels, the movie features the leading man as the tough-as-nails former Army investigator and drifter who finds himself entangled in a complex conspiracy. Showcasing his impressive range as an actor, the protagonist delivers a gritty and physical performance that captivates audiences and brings the beloved literary character to life. The film's thrilling action sequences, unexpected twists, and solid supporting cast make it a standout in the action-thriller genre.

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In this 80s drama, the leading man portrays an ambitious bartender who dreams of success and navigates the trials and tribulations of love and friendship. The role allows the protagonist to showcase his charm, charisma, and signature smile, resulting in a captivating performance that further establishes him as a Hollywood heartthrob. With memorable scenes and quotable dialogue, the film has earned a special place in pop culture nostalgia.

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Born on the Fourth of July

In a powerful and transformative performance, the lead actor takes on the real-life story of Ron Kovic, a disillusioned Vietnam War veteran who becomes an anti-war activist. Earning his first Academy Award nomination for Best Actor, the protagonist impeccably portrays the emotional turmoil, physical pain, and ultimate redemption of his character. The film's unflinching depiction of the war's aftermath and its impact on soldiers makes it a poignant and unforgettable viewing experience.

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Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One

The upcoming seventh installment in the blockbuster franchise promises to deliver even more breathtaking stunts, explosive action, and intriguing espionage as the lead character reprises his iconic role of Ethan Hunt. As the first part of a two-part cinematic event, the film will undoubtedly raise the stakes and further solidify the protagonist's status as an unstoppable action hero. With returning and new cast members, fans are eagerly anticipating the next thrilling chapter in the ever-evolving series.

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Mission: Impossible III

With J.J. Abrams at the helm, the third installment of the blockbuster franchise brings a personal and emotional depth to the series, as protagonist Ethan Hunt faces a ruthless villain with ties to his personal life. The leading man's captivating performance, along with an incredible supporting cast and intense action sequences, make this entry a standout in the spy thriller genre. Fans of the series appreciate the balance of character development, emotional stakes, and adrenaline-pumping action that this installment delivers.

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Tropic Thunder

In a surprising and hilarious turn, the protagonist takes on the role of an over-the-top Hollywood producer in this satirical war comedy. Sporting a bald cap and thick prosthetic makeup, he is nearly unrecognizable as he lampoons the movie industry with biting humor and infectious dance moves. His comedic prowess and willingness to poke fun at himself contribute to the film's status as a modern classic in the comedy genre.

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In this gripping historical thriller, the lead actor portrays German army officer Claus von Stauffenberg, who leads a plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler during World War II. With a strong supporting cast and a suspenseful narrative, the protagonist delivers a compelling performance that highlights his versatility as an actor. The film is a riveting exploration of moral courage and determination in the face of insurmountable odds.

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In this visually stunning sci-fi thriller, the protagonist plays a drone repairman tasked with maintaining Earth's defense system after an alien invasion. Unraveling a twisted web of secrets and lies surrounding his mission, the lead actor delivers a gripping and emotional performance that keeps audiences engaged from start to finish. With its breathtaking cinematography, thought-provoking themes, and memorable score, the film solidifies its place as a captivating entry in the science fiction genre.

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War of the Worlds

In this modern adaptation of H.G. Wells' classic novel, the protagonist portrays a divorced father who must protect his children during a sudden alien invasion. Under the direction of Steven Spielberg, the lead actor excels in conveying the terror, desperation, and determination of his character while navigating a world on the brink of destruction. The film's riveting storyline, impressive special effects, and powerful performances create a thrilling and suspenseful ride for viewers.

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Far and Away

Starring alongside Nicole Kidman, the protagonist takes on the role of an Irish immigrant seeking his fortune in America in this sweeping romantic epic. The film's lush landscapes and stirring score provide an exquisite backdrop for the passionate love story between the main characters. Despite some mixed critical reception, the undeniable chemistry between the lead actors and the film's grand scope make it a memorable viewing experience.

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American Made

Based on a true story, the protagonist plays a commercial airline pilot turned drug smuggler and CIA informant in this fast-paced crime drama. The lead actor's charismatic performance, combined with a fascinating real-life plot and a vibrant 80s aesthetic, makes for an entertaining and thrilling ride. The film showcases the protagonist's ability to tackle complex characters and deliver engaging performances in diverse roles.

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The top 20 Tom Cruise movies – ranked!

As the actor returns with Mission: Impossible – Fallout, we rank his 20 best films, from 1983’s The Outsiders to 2008’s Tropic Thunder

20. Far and Away (1992)

It was a toss-up between this and Vanilla Sky for the 20th spot, and Far and Away just nudged it because it is – admittedly not intentionally – hilarious, while the latter is a mega downer. No movie accent will ever give me as much joy as Cruise’s Irish accent.

19. War of the Worlds (2005)

Not a disaster, but nowhere near as good as a Spielberg-Cruise adaptation of HG Wells’ tale should have been. Cruise, deep into his publicly eccentric years, plays a divorced dad just trying to do right by his kids while fighting alien invaders, but comes across more alien than the invaders.

18. Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

This film was supposed to be exciting because we kinda, sorta, maybe got to see Cruise and his then wife, Nicole Kidman, have sex, but a major flaw in that sales pitch is no one wanted to. Including, it turned out, them. Their marriage fell apart soon after the making of this film and some of us are still unconvinced it was worth the marriage.

17. Days of Thunder (1990)

It’s Top Gun – in a car. And nowhere near as good. This film is best known as the one in which Cruise and Kidman met. But it should be celebrated for giving Cruise’s character the name of Cole Trickle. For not laughing hysterically every time they say his name, everyone in this film deserves an Oscar.

16. All the Right Moves (1983)

No one watches this movie now. But they should. Babyfaced and clearly vertically challenged, Cruise plays the most unlikely American football player ever committed to film, but even in the early days of his career, his charisma was undeniable. Unexpectedly gritty and with lovely support from Craig T Nelson.

15. The Firm (1993)

Gosh, who should we get to play the young lawyer, full of morals and ambition, who suddenly finds himself in a bad world filled with bad men? John Grisham may not have written the part with Cruise in mind, but whichever Thetan Cruise worships made him for thismovie.

14. Interview With the Vampire (1994)

Eat me, haterz: people who criticise this film have no sense of fun. Cruise is enjoyably weird as Lestat de Lioncourt, the ultimate vampire. The real problem with this movie is Brad Pitt, who takes it all way too seriously. Cruise understands this is not a drama – it’s a camp delight.

13. Cocktail (1988)

Frankly, if you don’t enjoy the sight of Cruise slinging rum cocktails on a beach to a Beach Boys soundtrack, then please march yourself to a doctor immediately because you have lost your soul.

12. The Colour of Money (1986)

Grizzled Paul Newman, rehashing his role from The Hustler, hands the matinee idol baton here to a young and twinkly-eyed Cruise. It is hard not to die a little inside when you look at Cruise’s pretty face and think of the weird life choices he would go on to make; a babe heading off into the dark woods.

11. Tropic Thunder (2008)

A bit of a cheat this, yes, as Cruise is barely in the movie. But, his performance as the deranged studio executive Les Grossman was so good it saved his career after all the sofa jumping and Scientology bullshittery. Some of us have never really recovered from the sight of a bald Cruise grooving to Flo Rida.

10. Collateral (2004)

Probably not a movie that Cruise kicks back and watches in his spare time, given that his ex-wife, Katie Holmes, is now dating his co-star, Jamie Foxx. Still, that shouldn’t distract the rest of us from enjoying Cruise playing memorably against type as a killer and Foxx as the cabby he hires for the evening. It does distract a little, mind.

9. Rain Man (1988)

Hear me out: Cruise should have got the Oscar for this instead of Dustin Hoffman. Hoffman’s performance is all tricks and tics, but Cruise, as the obnoxious jerk who learns he has a brother, is subtle and true. Setting the pattern for his career, Cruise was underrated because he made it look effortless.

8. Minority Report (2002)

Cruise and Spielberg should, by rights, be as natural a combination as bread and butter, and yet Minority Report is the only truly satisfying movie they have made together.

7. The Outsiders (1983)

Playing a working-class teenager in Oklahoma alongside then fellow near-unknowns Rob Lowe, Patrick Swayze, Ralph Macchio, Emilio Estevez, Diane Lane and Matt Dillon (someone give that casting director a medal), Cruise his a small but pleasing role in this, the most beautiful of all 80s teen movies.

6. Jerry Maguire (1996)

Cameron Crowe wrote this role of the beaten-down sports agent for the other Tom – Hanks – and the movie probably would have made more sense with him: Cruise is just too good-looking to be a credible underdog. But, he seizes the part with irresistible intensity, making even the naffest of Crowe’s lines sound heartfelt.

Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible.

5. Mission: Impossible (1996)

The film that, for better or worse, confirmed Cruise as the action star of his generation, and while that means he has churned out a lot of action landfill for the past decade, the original Mission: Impossible , directed by Brian De Palma, is a stone-cold classic. Somewhere, in all of our hearts, Cruise will be forever suspended on that zip wire.

4. Born on the Fourth of July (1989)

It is Cruise’s misfortune that his one real shot at an Oscar – before the Scientology weirdness ruled him out for ever – coincided with the year of Daniel Day-Lewis’s unbeatable performance in My Left Foot. His performance as a Vietnam vet is the definitive retort to any fool who insists he is a movie star, not an actor.

3. A Few Good Men (1992)

Pure cinematic pleasure. Cruise is known as a screen-chewer, but it is too rarely acknowledged how good he is at playing second fiddle to a true ham: Hoffman in Rain Man and Jack Nicholson here. “I want the truth!” is Cruise at his Cruisiest, and there ain’t nothing wrong with that.

2. Magnolia (1999)

One of three performances for which Cruise should have won an Oscar. Heretofore seen as almost asexual, Cruise is astonishing as TJ Mackie, the men’s rights activist guru with the catchphrase “Respect the cock!” No one could have imagined him in this role before. It’s now impossible to imagine anyone else playing it.

1. Top Gun (1986)

Risky Business made Cruise famous, but it’s a terrible movie. Top Gun, on the other hand, made him a legend, and it remains one of the greatest movies of all time. Cruise, playing “a flyboy”, took to the film’s endearingly overt homoeroticism like a natural. The volleyball scene put a generation through puberty.

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Mission: Impossible

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Every Tom Cruise Movie Ranked from Worst to Best

Kick the tires and light the fires.

Tom Cruise is one of our greatest living movie stars, plain and simple. While the term “movie star” is used less and less in today’s Hollywood landscape, Cruise remains a tremendous entertainer, a larger-than-life performer—an icon of the silver screen, truly. His persona transcends celebrity, and over the last nearly four decades he has delivered memorable performance after memorable performance, proving adept at traversing a variety of genres—some with more success than others. From the boyish 80s protagonist to classic leading man to action hero, Cruise’s film career is the epitome of success, and it’s a testament to his talent that he can be taken just as seriously in a dark, complex drama from an auteur filmmaker as he can in a major blockbuster franchise.

And while PR troubles led to a sharp left turn into exclusively blockbuster-type material in the mid-2000s, Cruise remains a reliable source of entertainment. Audiences can rest assured that when they see a Tom Cruise movie, the actor is leaving nothing on the table. This is the guy who literally hung off the tallest building in the world for our entertainment. It’s this focus on pleasing audiences that exemplifies Cruise’s status as “movie star,” but it’s the actor’s talent, ambition, and willingness to venture into uncertain territory that makes him our greatest living movie star.

As such, it felt appropriate to dive back into Cruise’s entire filmography, take a closer look at his entire body of work from Taps to Top Gun: Maverick , and rank every single film from worst to best. While at first, this seemed like a simple enough task, as I dove deeper into the actor’s oeuvre, I came to realize that Cruise has made more genuinely good movies than not. It’s one thing to have the kind of longevity that Cruise has enjoyed, but the actor’s filmography is consistently solid—even most of the “bad” Tom Cruise films have some sort of redeeming quality.

A couple of notes before we begin: this is a ranking of Tom Cruise films , not performances. As such, the order I’ve laid out here has to do with the film as a whole, not just Cruise’s performance in it. Additionally, I didn’t include 1983’s Losin’ It due to lack of availability, and also left off 1981’s Endless Love given Cruise’s lack of substantial screentime.

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So, without further ado, I present to you every Tom Cruise movie ranked from worst to best.

41. Lions for Lambs

This 2007 Robert Redford drama came on the heels of Cruise’s PR issues, and at first glance was seen as a potential comeback for the actor, but in the end would mark Cruise’s final foray into straight drama territory. Whether that was a consequence of Cruise’s perceived image issues or the film’s quality is unclear, but Lions for Lambs is the worst film on the actor’s resume. It’s the equivalent of a political Facebook meme come to life—a pedantic, hollow “morality play” that goes nowhere and is so ineloquent with the handling of its subject matter that if you’re a self-professed liberal, it may have you questioning your political beliefs.

Cruise is fine as a conservative senator trying to sell a new military endeavor in Afghanistan, and the role had promise as Cruise has rarely tackled something so blatantly political, but Redford mishandles the whole thing, with a script by Matthew Michael Carnahan that reads like liberal fan-fiction. The ideas in the film aren’t wrong, but they’re spun with such smugness and lack of interest in telling some semblance of a story that they come off as groan-worthy. If you can watch this movie without rolling your eyes, you deserve a medal.

It’s no coincidence that Tom Cruise has yet to make even the slightest of forays into the fantasy genre since his lead role in Ridley Scott ’s original dark fantasy adventure Legend . The movie is, frankly, quite bad, with a meandering plotline and thin character motivations, all of which is underscored by a distractingly incongruous synth-heavy score by Tangerine Dream . The only good thing about Legend is the tremendously impressive makeup effects, which transform Tim Curry into a downright unrecognizable Lord of Darkness. As for Cruise, he’s clearly uncomfortable in the lead role, given little to work with from William Hjortsberg ’s script, and his first attempt to make the jump from promising leading man to blockbuster lead was an unsuccessful one—although he recovered quite nicely the same year with a little movie called Top Gun .

Taps is a competently made film about a bunch of dummies. When the entire premise hinges on a group of military academy kids who take over the school at gunpoint in order to prevent its closing, it’s hard to root for the “heroes.” Their whole plan is what we call flawed logic, and despite the fact that the characters come to realize their mistake as the film wears on, Taps spends far too much time heralding their “honor” and sense of duty. As for Cruise, this was his first major role in a feature film, and it’s kind of funny to see him playing the testosterone-fueled, dickish supporting character. It’s a personality type that he would toy with a couple other times in his career, but never with as much purity as Cadet Captain David Shawn.

38. Rock of Ages

Rock of Ages is a film in which Tom Cruise sings into Malin Akerman ’s butt, and yet, somehow Cruise remains pretty much the only good thing about Adam Shankman ’s musical adaptation. I suppose it shouldn’t be so much of a surprise given Cruise’s commitment to each and every role, but his consistently delightful performance as Stacee Jaxx is kind of incredible. The rest of the film…well, this is still a movie in which Tom Cruise sings into Malin Akerman’s butt. Shankman’s staging of the musical sequences is surprisingly lackluster, and the overabundance of autotune distracts from what should be a fun jukebox shuffle. The story is downright silly, and Rock of Ages as a whole stands as proof positive that not every musical is ripe for the feature film treatment.

37. The Mummy

The Mummy is one of the biggest wastes of Tom Cruise’s talent in recent memory. His Nick Morton character is wholly devoid of any engaging or unique character traits, and instead we get a blank slate protagonist who simply reacts to plot points and moves the story forward with no grace or agency. His motivations are murky, the audience is given no reason to root for him, and there’s a romantic twist that comes out of nowhere and doesn’t work at all. Morton is wholly devoid of the charisma, complexity, or darkness that makes Cruise’s action heroes so compelling, but it’s kind of in keeping with the blandness of the entire movie.

The Mummy wants to be funny and scary and adventurous, but only by going through the motions of comedies, horror movies, and adventure epics without any original ideas of its own. Even when Russell Crowe enters the film as Dr. Jekyll, what should be an exciting new twist on a classic monster has instead been turned into an exposition machine with few unique characteristics. The promise was there in developing a new twist on a classic Universal Monster with the starpower of Tom Cruise, but unfortunately The Mummy falls short in almost every capacity. A complete disappointment.

36. Mission: Impossible II

Mission: Impossible II is the only bad Mission: Impossible movie. Cruise was understandably eager to jump back into franchise mode after a series of intense dramatic roles in the late 1990s, but this action sequel is mostly a pointless chore of a film as director John Woo never comes close to crafting anything resembling a thrilling sequence—action or no—throughout the entire movie’s runtime. Add in the fact that the purpose of Thandie Newton ’s character is to literally distract the villain by having sex with him, and the whole movie really falls apart from the word “go.” Luckily, Cruise would recover with subsequent installments in the Mission: Impossible franchise, and while M:I II would eventually prove to be a necessary growing pain to allow for the evolution of this particular film series, it's still a bit of a rough watch.

35. Oblivion

Director Joseph Kosinski ’s 2013 sci-fi drama Oblivion is an absolutely gorgeous and incredibly boring spectacle. While Cruise characteristically gives this thing his all, the various “twists” are predictable and poorly executed, and the emotionally detached quality of Kosinski’s direction makes what should be a sweeping sci-fi drama a dull and overlong chore. Claudio Miranda ’s cinematography is certainly striking, and M83 ’s original score is epic in its scope, but the film just kind of rolls along like a very pretty, very hollow music video, and not even Cruise’s charisma can inject something resembling a pulse into this massively disappointing sci-fi pic.

34. Cocktail

The first 30 minutes or so of Cocktail are actually pretty good. The film has a breezy charm that’s typical of so many other 80s Hollywood films, and seeing Cruise begin his career as a bartender is pretty fun. But then the movie gets downright silly and continues to become even sillier as it goes along. This is a profoundly dumb movie in which not a lot really happens, and Cruise’s Brian Flanagan is interested in one thing and one thing only: Brian Flanagan. Indeed, the central driving force behind the story is the aim of making money, although this throughline makes sense within the context of the late 80s/early 90s yuppie culture.

Cruise’s performance is pitched a tad too high here, with his excitement more off-putting than infectious. But you can see shades of the natural charisma and charm that would be further honed in subsequent films, and Cruise’s range was on full display in 1988 as it was the year both Cocktail and Rain Man hit theaters.

33. Jack Reacher: Never Go Back

I’m not mad at you, Jack Reacher: Never Go Back . I’m just disappointed. The first Jack Reacher was a surprisingly rich, thrilling, and artful twist on the action hero formula with Cruise delivering a dark and confident turn as the lead character. The sequel, however, feels like what should have been the story for Jack Reacher 3 or 4 , as it introduces a potential daughter into the mix that throws Jack Reacher’s life for a loop. We really could’ve used more time fleshing out the Reacher character first before introducing this “blast from the past” element, and in the hands of director Edward Zwick it mostly falls flat.

The story isn’t near as compelling as the first film, and the action lacks a certain oomph that director Christopher McQuarrie brought to the original (he passed on directing the sequel as he was busy with another Cruise vehicle, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation ). The film isn’t entirely devoid of merit: Cobie Smulders makes a strong case for leading an action franchise of her own, and Cruise delivers another solid performance. It’s just a disappointing step down in quality from the pleasant surprise of the first film.

32. Valkyrie

Valkyrie is one of the most curious entries in Cruise’s resume. On paper, this thing should’ve been terrific, with Bryan Singer helming a World War II dramatic thriller starring Tom Cruise, written by Christopher McQuarrie . But in execution, the story of the failed plot to assassinate Hitler fails to ever really take off. It’s a fascinating film in that it’s tough to really pin down exactly why it doesn’t work, but a big contributing factor is the simple fact that everyone watching knows exactly how this thing’s gonna end, so it’s tough to muster enthusiasm or root for this group of individuals whose plan is doomed for failure. Cruise is fine in the role of Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, the supporting cast is fine in capturing the inner workings of the Nazi army, and Singer is fine at stitching the whole story together. But in the end there’s little to write home about, and nothing that really makes the film stand out as anything more than a curious—but forgettable—oddity.

31. Days of Thunder

While the prospect of a reteaming of Tom Cruise and his Top Gun director Tony Scott for a film about NASCAR was incredibly promising, the end result left much to be desired. For everything Top Gun got right, Days of Thunder got wrong. There’s an engaging movie in there somewhere, but the end result is all flash and no substance, with none of the heart that made Top Gun so endearing. While the rapport between Cruise and Robert Duvall is interesting enough, it can only go so far, and at heart Days of Thunder is a film that’s running on fumes.

30. The Color of Money

A controversial ranking I'm sure, but what a disappointing film. Martin Scorsese working with Cruise and Paul Newman should’ve been reason to celebrate, but The Color of Money —a follow-up to the Newman vehicle The Hustler —is shockingly rote and by-the-numbers, marking one of the most disappointing films on Scorsese’s resume. The film came out in 1986, the same year as Top Gun , and it’s fascinating to compare Cruise’s over-excited and boyish performance here with the assured confidence and complexity with which he tackled Top Gun . Sure the hotshot character of Vince is meant to be more adolescent in nature, but Cruise and Scorsese overshoot and result in something that’s more akin to an annoying kid brother than a likable protagonist. The Color of Money just kinda sits there, not terrible but not great, wholly unremarkable and, frankly, boring.

29. All the Right Moves

It’s kind of surprising that Cruise managed to avoid so many cliché-filled 80s movies given that he was such a hot item throughout the decade, but 1983’s All the Right Moves really stands as unique in that regard. Director Michael Chapman ’s story of a hot-headed football player in a Pennsylvania town who wants nothing more than to go to college and escape a future working at the local plant is cliché-filled to the max, but Cruise manages to keep things somewhat interesting by bringing a curious intensity to the role, while Lea Thompson ’s girlfriend character almost manages to manifest into something resembling a real person. In the end, the story goes exactly where you think it’s going to go, and there’s not much else to make it worthwhile. It’s a minor entry on Cruise’s resume and his most forgettable film from the 80s, but it’s not out-and-out bad per se. Just incredibly familiar.

28. Tropic Thunder

Throughout the 2000s, Cruise had firmly left the comedic days of his early career behind. But following some bad PR and a couple of films that didn’t really work, the actor made one of his more ambitious leaps in filling the role of studio executive Les Grossman in Ben Stiller ’s satirical comedy Tropic Thunder . The result is a somewhat shocking and altogether hilarious turn from Cruise, who’s nearly unrecognizable in the part. It’s not a terribly substantial role so I considered leaving Tropic Thunder off this list altogether, but the film did mark the beginning of a career turnaround for Cruise, and thus stands as an important landmark on the trajectory of his film career.

The movie itself is a no-holds-barred skewering of self-important actors and the gluttony of Hollywood, and while it’s certainly a very funny comedy, the film ends up becoming the exact thing it’s making fun of, as Stiller tries to have his cake and eat it too by crafting his own bloated war epic that drones on for too long and loses sight of its central thrust along the way. And yet, it’s still really funny, and Cruise caps the whole thing off like a cherry on top of a sundae as Les Grossman’s grotesque dancing plays over the closing credits.

27. The Firm

In the late 80s/early 90s, Cruise nearly became pigeonholed as the sort of typical yuppie American businessman, and perhaps his most rote film of this time period was the 1993 John Grisham adaptation The Firm . While director Sydney Pollack ’s handle on the Wicker Man -esque tome is quite confident and the story is compelling to a point, the film is a bit too long and attempts to cover too much ground. A longform approach would have better suited this particular source material, and it’s no surprise that a TV series adaptation was attempted a few years ago. Cruise is fine though, his rapport with Gene Hackman is certainly the bright spot of the film, and the story is constantly engaging. But it’s a movie that starts to fade almost immediately after the credits roll. It’s the film equivalent of an airplane read—satisfying and disposable.

26. American Made

Post- Valkyrie , Cruise made a concerted effort to shy away from more dramatic material and focus on offering up the very best pieces of entertainment possible. This gave us great films like the Mission: Impossible sequels and Jack Reacher , but the lack of complexity in Cruise’s roles has been sorely missing. American Made is the closest Cruise has come to a "morally conflicted" lead since Collateral , and I don’t know if it’s the refreshing change of pace or Doug Liman ’s visceral filmmaking, but this thing works. Cruise brings a needed amount of charisma to the role of Barry Seal, a dude who does some very bad stuff; but he also completely delivers as Barry’s life spirals out of control.

The film still fits into Cruise’s “entertainment” mode as it’s a tremendously exciting movie, but it’s not as action-heavy as Cruise’s other recent films, and that gives the actor a chance to showcase his range far better than in something like The Mummy . While the film probably could have stood to embrace the darkness even more, as it stands it’s an exciting and refreshingly different kind of movie, at least for the present day Tom Cruise persona.

25. Vanilla Sky

Vanilla Sky is a weird movie, but I’m not altogether sure it’s a great one. Writer/director Cameron Crowe ’s ambition is admirable, as the film still stands as his biggest departure to date and sees him firmly tackling psychological thriller territory. But in the category of Tom Cruise movies that hinge on trippy dream sequences and leave much open to interpretation, it lags behind Stanley Kubrick ’s Eyes Wide Shut .

And yet, there’s a certain charm to Vanilla Sky and Cruise’s unhinged performance that make it quite watchable, even if Crowe himself seems to be unsure of what, exactly, is really going on. The soundtrack is unsurprisingly on point, and Cameron Diaz proves to be a solid foil for Cruise in their first of two onscreen pairings. While it far from sticks the landing, there’s a certain moxie to Vanilla Sky that makes it charming in its own unique way.

24. The Outsiders

Director Francis Ford Coppola ’s 1983 adaptation of The Outsiders famously had every hot young actor in Hollywood angling for a role, and indeed the ensemble (mostly) reads like a who’s who of future megastars. Cruise is among them, and while Steve Randle is a minor character in the scheme of the ensemble, Cruise does enough here to show that he’s in this thing called “showbiz” for the long haul. As for the film itself, it’s a terrific spin on the coming-of-age genre with a West Side Story twist, and the gaggle of youngsters leading the cast do a tremendous job of capturing life as a hot-headed adolescent in the 1960s. Moreover, Coppola’s willingness to cover the darker aspects of the novel elevates the film to a thematically rich and relevant watch. Stay gold, Ponyboy.

23. The Last Samurai

While the combination of the film’s title and the giant image of Tom Cruise on the poster rubbed many the wrong way, The Last Samurai is actually a surprisingly thoughtful and sensitive historical epic. Director Edward Zwick ’s handling of this post-Civil War Japan-set story is deft, resulting in something akin to Dances with Wolves albeit with even more heart. And Cruise is pretty terrific as a regretful, alcoholic solider who finds himself immersed in the world of the samurai—a dying breed. Ultimately The Last Samurai is a story of redemption, and while Zwick’s reverence for the subject matter sometimes starts to smother the film (the pacing is somewhat uneven), it’s ultimately a refreshingly unique spin on a genre that ruled the 90s. If anything, The Last Samurai is notable for being the only historical epic on Cruise’s resume.

22. Jack Reacher

Jack Reacher is the kind of film that looks like a movie you’ve seen a million times before, and in many ways is exactly the movie you were expecting, but is executed so perfectly that it transcends familiarity to become something altogether special. Writer/director Christopher McQuarrie spins one hell of a yarn in this Lee Child adaptation, and if casting Cruise as Reacher was genius decision number one, then setting Werner Herzog as the emotionless villain was a close second.

Cruise’s approach here is so sure-footed and confident that you buy every single move Reacher makes, but this role diverges from many of Cruise’s other action hero leads in that Reacher is not overly joyful. You can feel his annoyance every time someone underestimates him or puts another life in danger, and it’s that facet of the character that makes him so watchable and, ultimately, a memorable Tom Cruise role. The performer eschews his natural charm and boyish excitability in favor of a much dryer tone, and it suits him well. While the story is, again, nothing you haven’t seen before, thanks to skillful execution and a unique turn for Cruise, Jack Reacher is one of Cruise’s most watchable films.

The 10 Best Reviewed Tom Cruise Movies According to Rotten Tomatoes

Tom Cruise has proven to be one of Hollywood’s most consistent actors, starring in top-tier movies such as Edge of Tomorrow and Top Gun: Maverick.

Quick Links

The Color of Money Explored the World of Pool Hustling
Rain Main Showed the Emotional Range of Tom Cruise
Minority Report Combined Big Ideas with Blockbuster Action
Edge of Tomorrow Showcased a Unique Sci-Fi Romance
Risky Business Was Cruise's Coming of Age Moment
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol Tested Ethan Hunt's Limits
Tom Cruise's Plane Stunt Defined Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One Thrived in 2023
Top Gun: Maverick Revived a Legendary Tale
Mission: Impossible - Fallout is a Tom Cruise Masterpiece

Tom Cruise is one of the most important and dynamic action stars of all time. From jumping off of roofs to playing a pool hustler, Cruise has always found a way to capture the audience. Even when it comes to genre, the Oscar-nominated actor has been all over the map, capable of playing a silly teen or goofy villain. Stand-out performances like his aggressive portrayal of Les Grossman in Tropic Thunder or his dynamic excitement as an agent in Jerry Maguire can be forgotten in the sea of great Tom Cruise movies.

From his start in the 1980s to today, Tom Cruise has always brought audiences new reasons to see his films. He has made audiences laugh, cry, hold their breath and everything in between. But ultimately, even actors with the longest careers have to have some performances and movies that are considered their best. In this case, Cruise's highest rated films have left a special impact on his career, and have helped him become the star he is today.

10 The Color of Money Explored the World of Pool Hustling

Directed by Martin Scorsese, The Color of Money was one of the first showcases of Tom Cruise's talent. Cruise plays Vincent Lauria, the understudy of a pool hustler by the name of Eddie Felson. Being able to excel and shine in a supporting role shows the quality of an actor, especially early in their career.

Through his performance, and being able to learn from an actor like Paul Newman (who would win best leading actor for his portrayal of Felson at the Oscars), it was clear Tom Cruise was on his way to a great career. The Color of Money will always have its place in Tom's lengthy filmography thanks to his charisma (and arrogance) in the role. His ability to sell the cocky and naive nature of an understudy were a credit to his acting abilities.

9 Rain Main Showed the Emotional Range of Tom Cruise

10 best jason statham movies, ranked.

Rain Man centers around Charlie Babbitt, who is a car dealer grappling with the recent loss of his dad. On learning that his father left millions to his brother Raymond's mental institution, Charlie sets off on a trip. Dustin Hoffman plays Raymond , an autistic character with great intelligence. Through their journey together, Babbitt discovers a lot about his brother's unique abilities, leading to an interesting and touching family dynamic.

Cruise's portrayal of Babbitt delivered a performance that was emotional and meaningful, creating great chemistry with his on-screen brother. It is films like this that show Tom Cruise as more than just an action star, but a truly special performer that can evoke emotion out of an audience. Even decades after its release, Rain Man is a prominent film.

8 Minority Report Combined Big Ideas with Blockbuster Action

With some previous action roles under his belt, Cruise effortlessly played Chief Paul Anderton in 2002's Minority Report . Anderton is responsible for the “Pre-Crime Unit”, which is used to prevent future crimes through psychic tech. The problem is, Anderton is deemed a future murderer himself, and he must deal with the consequences of that label. This kicks off a plot that forces Cruise's character to deal with the threats of both his present and future.

Following the first two Mission: Impossible films, Minority Report helped cement Cruise as the main action star of Hollywood. His ability to sell the action effectively, while also making people root for his character, was an impressive feat. His performance would sell the desperate and sensitive situation that Chief Anderton was in. The blueprint for Cruise's success was there when it came to action movies, and he would get even better after this big hit.

7 Edge of Tomorrow Showcased a Unique Sci-Fi Romance

Emily blunt hopes to reunite with tom cruise for edge of tomorrow sequel.

Edge of Tomorrow provided an interesting spin on the time loop story, with Cruise’s character of Major William Cage forced to re-live the same battle over and over. While caught in this vicious cycle, Cage must hone his combat skills and find a way of defeating the invading alien forces. His partner in battle is Rita Vrataski, played by Emily Blunt .

Cage's dynamic with Rita sells a strange love story, where he knows nearly everything about her, and she knows almost nothing about him. He gives off a sense of desperation to create a bond in a situation where that is nearly impossible. Cruise's acting in the film helped to sell a new type of tale in the science-fiction genre, and it has proven to have staying power.

6 Risky Business Was Cruise's Coming of Age Moment

In Risky Business , Joel Goodsen is a high school senior who is lucky enough to have the whole house to himself, and naturally gets into some trouble along the way. He also has a comical, yet somewhat loving, relationship with Rebecca De Mornay's Lana, a lady of the night. It was Cruise’s opportunity to play a teen who wants to live a life of freedom, and it was very well received after its release in 1983.

Throughout the movie, Cruise comes off as naive, likable, and wide-eyed in his portrayal of Goodsen. The audience knows he is participating in some activities that he certainly should not be involved with, but it is impossible to root against his success anyway. The image of him rocking a blazer and some sunglasses with a huge grin still resonates to this day.

5 Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol Tested Ethan Hunt's Limits

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Many would say Ethan Hunt is perhaps Tom Cruise’s most important character. The Mission: Impossible films have been wildly successful due to their ultra-realism and riveting action, and this version is no different. Ethan Hunt and his team are blamed for a terrorist attack in Russia, leading them to be ostracized by the United States even when taking on a Swedish Nuclear Strategist named Kurt Hendricks.

One scene in Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol really stands out, as Hunt scales down a massive glass building in Dubai. It is daring and impossible to look away from. Knowing that Cruise is capable of pulling off amazing stunts without any help of CGI or a body double, makes the action scenes even more impressive. However, this would be far from the last time that Cruise took these sort of risks.

4 Tom Cruise's Plane Stunt Defined Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation

Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation was an important addition to the series, worthy of its predecessors. Cruise is once again playing Ethan Hunt, along with Jeremy Renner’s William Brandt and Simon Pegg’s Benji Dunn. In total, the movie was filmed in four different countries: Morocco, Austria, the UK and Malaysia. Solomon Lane (Sean Harris) is a former MI6 agent working with "The Syndicate" to create global destruction.

The stand-out image of this movie is Tom Cruise hanging on to a moving plane. It made audiences ask, "is there anything this man won't do?" Any action movie star that makes someone ask that question has to be doing a very good job. Cruise mentioned in a featurette for the production that he was incredibly scared to do the stunt, but pulled it off with great success. It's an iconic setpiece which undoubtedly makes Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation stand out.

3 Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One Thrived in 2023

In 2023, Ethan Hunt continued to deliver the goods for movie goers. Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning features "The Entity," a self-aware rogue AI being that is capable of hacking into important security systems all over the world. Gabriel, a terrorist with previous links to Ethan Hunt, looks to serve "The Entity" for his own benefit.

Last year's version of Mission: Impossible delivered in a way where almost nobody was let down. Cruise is now in his 60s, some may expect him to slow down or retire altogether. Instead, he continues to dazzle with action on the big screen. Hunt's emotional conflict of having to deal with artificial intelligence for the first time adds layers to a character that seemed nearly unbreakable.

2 Top Gun: Maverick Revived a Legendary Tale

In a sequel to the 1986 classic Top Gun , Top Gun: Maverick delivers an entertaining and riveting experience with some of the navy’s best fighters. Cruise reprises his role as Capt. Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, while Miles Teller plays Lt. Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw. The film earned a nomination for best picture at the Oscars, which is a testament to just how captivating Top Gun: Maverick is.

Despite it being decades since the original movie, neither Cruise nor the Top Gun franchise had lost its luster. People were making the claim that the film was so successful that it may have been a key factor in saving movie theaters across the country. Cruise's role of Pete Maverick is still as intriguing today as it was in the 80s and Maverick's testing scene through the mountains is absolutely breathtaking.

1 Mission: Impossible - Fallout is a Tom Cruise Masterpiece

Every mission impossible main character, ranked.

According to Rotten Tomatoes, Mission: Impossible - Fallout is the greatest Tom Cruise movie ever made. Taking place in locations like the Vatican, Jerusalem and Mecca, Saudi Arabia, this thriller is a world tour of action. Ethan Hunt and his team are tasked with taking on a group of terrorists, led by a highly dangerous arms dealer. No one knows where the deadly weapons are, and Hunt's team is tasked with finding them before it's too late.

Tom Cruise leads the way of this strong cast, and captivated millions of viewers worldwide as a result. His dedication to the films is unquestioned , as during filming he suffered an actual ankle injury while attempting a stunt. Cruise actually jumped off of a roof, which led to the incident. Cruise's character also endured intense emotional turmoil, trying to decide how far he can (or should go) to complete such a daunting mission.

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Tom Cruise's top 10 best movie performances

From 'Risky Business' to 'Edge of Tomorrow,' Cruise's best work from the past four decades

10. Tropic Thunder (2008)

Comedy has never exactly been Cruise's strong suit, but this insane supporting role as an obscene studio chief is a howler long before you even realize that it's him beneath the fat suit and bald cap.

9. Minority Report (2002)

Working with Steven Spielberg, Cruise commanded this eerily prescient (should we say pre-cog) sci-fi version of law enforcement in the near future.

8. Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

Costarring with then-wife Nicole Kidman in director Stanley Kubrick's final film, Cruise played a married doctor who descends into a New York underworld of sex and intrigue. Come for the masked orgies, stay for one of the actor's most simmering performances.

7. Collateral (2004)

Turning to the darker side, Cruise portrayed his first true antihero role as a suave hitman in Michael Mann's gleaming Los Angeles thriller.

6. Risky Business (1983)

A star is born. Armed with tighty-whities and Ray Bans, Cruise (at 21) slid straight onto Hollywood's A-List with this classic comedy about a high school straight arrow who learns that sometimes you just have to say "What the f---".

5. Edge of Tomorrow (2014)

In Doug Liman's brain-scrambling, time-looping sci-fi action film, Cruise brilliantly poked holes in his own image as a cowardly soldier stuck in a Groundhog-Day -style bit of battlefield deja vu.

4. Rain Man (1988)

Dustin Hoffman scored Best Actor as an austistic man ripped from the comfort of routine, but watch Cruise's complex, soulful performance as Hoffman's cocky brother. He doesn't need the spotlight to shine.

3. Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018)

At 56, Tom Cruise shows once again why he’s still Hollywood’s hungriest movie star, upping the ante with the most emotionally textured and most insanely stunt-stuffed entry in the already-great Mission: Impossible cycle.

2. Magnolia (1999)

Still one of the most dazzling change-of-pace roles by any Hollywood movie star, Cruise joined Paul Thomas Anderson's sprawling ensemble as a swaggering motivational speaker hiding secrets and scars beneath his bravado.

1. Born on the Fourth of July (1989)

Cruise earned his first Oscar nomination for his urgent, harrowing performance as wheelchair-bound Vietnam vet Ron Kovic. This is the moment that the movie star proved that there was a serious, character-acting chameleon underneath the movie star mask.

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Top 10 Best Tom Cruise Movies, Ranked

At 60 years old, Tom Cruise is a 40-year acting veteran who has appeared in more than 40 movies of a wide variety of genres. While some have been more successful than others, most have been memorable in some way or another. They’ve also grossed a whopping $10 billion worldwide.

Cruise’s path to stardom started in 1983 with Risky Business and, since then, he has received two Oscar nominations for Best Actor in Born on the Fourth of July (1989) and Jerry Maguire (1996) and one for Best Supporting Actor in Magnolia (1999). In fact, those same performances made him win three Golden Globes.

Even as Cruise hit the 60-year-old milestone in 2022, he shows no signs of slowing down, with Top Gun: Maverick smashing it out of the park. To celebrate his achievements in acting, we’re going to rank the 10 best Tom Cruise movies.

10. Risky Business (1983)

Although not Cruise’s first feature, it was Risky Business that launched the actor into movie stardom, and deservingly so. Through Joel Goodson’s role, he gets to deliver a playful performance sprinkled with a bit of drama that includes one of his most iconic and unforgettable scenes: when Joell glides across the living room entryway, wearing a shirt, underwear, and socks, and he dances and lip-syncs to Bob Seger’s Old Time Rock ‘n’ Roll. Even though it lasts less than a minute, it’s a movie classic.

Thanks to, writer and director, Paul Brickman, Risky Business captures the teen experience, through its pressures and guilts, with satiric lenses that work extremely well for the coming-of-age teen drama. With Cruise as the protagonist, the great performance by Rebecca De Mornay, and an awesome soundtrack, it would be a mistake to skip this movie.

9. Minority Report (2002)

Tom Cruise is known for his acting skills, but also his stunt abilities. As such, he was the perfect choice for the “on-the-run” sci-fi neo-noir Minority Report. Cruise’s performance goes beyond his physical capabilities, as he portrays a complex and deeply troubled cop, Chief John Anderton, who hunts criminals before they attempt murder until he gets accused of planning a murder himself.

This was the second time Cruise and Steven Spielberg worked together and it proved to be worth it. With Spielberg’s mastery, the noir aspects of the film are brilliant. Moreover, thanks to a futuristic premise where technology can predict if someone is about to commit a crime, it sparks a debate around whether free will actually exists as opposed to determinism. As such, as Tom Cruise dives into more tragic roles in the late 90s and early 2000s, he takes part in a great blockbuster that leaves people thinking.

8. Edge of Tomorrow (2014)

Edge of Tomorrow shows Cruise in a completely opposite role to the ones we’re used to seeing him play: a coward. As a result, the audience is definitely surprised which allows the actor to show his versatility and go through a satisfying arc from zero to hero. After more than three decades of acting, the actor still has something new to show.

Doug Liman’s sci-fi is basically Groundhog Day with guns and aliens, as Major Bill Cage, Cruise’s character, is forced to relive the same day where he fights and dies time after time. Besides being extraordinarily entertaining, the film is also carried by Emily Blunt which brings a complex female lead to the screen without diving into traditional gender roles. In the end, their performances and their chemistry take the premise to another level and make this feature worth your time.

7. Magnolia (1999)

Magnolia lets Cruise shine as Frank T.J. Mackey, a misogynistic self-help guru in one of the most brilliant performances of his career, leading to a Golden Globe win and an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Even though this character doesn’t resemble any role that the actor has done, it still carries his daddy issues trademark. In fact, the actor and Paul Thomas Anderson , the director, bonded over the loss of their fathers to build the character for Magnolia.

Cruise is just one of many interrelated characters that are in search of meaning and forgiveness, making this movie a long odyssey of emotions and coincidences, carried by a fitting score. While it’s true that Anderson, at times, gets carried away by worrying about making the movie profound, Cruise’s delivery in the final act doesn’t leave anyone indifferent emotionally.

6. Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

Eyes Wide Shut is one of the most interesting movies in Cruise’s filmography. After spending 400 days shooting what would be his first and only collaboration with Stanley Kubrick, the feature received mixed reviews. However, it was one of the actor’s boldest choices and performances and the artsiest film the actor has starred in. As Dr. Bill, his character falls into a spiral of insecurity and jealousy, Cruise and his co-star Nicole Kidman dive into a sexual explicitness that neither had experienced before.

This was Kubrick’s last movie, and as bizarre as it was, it would be difficult to decline to work with the director. Eyes Wide Shut brings forward a plot that is certainly fascinating and that makes you feel almost like you’re in trance trying to guess which situations are real or not.

5. Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018)

Tom Cruise is Mission: Impossible and Mission: Impossible is Tom Cruise, yet it wouldn’t be fair to include all of the movies from the franchise in this top 10. However, we couldn’t skip Fallout as it topped the other movies through insane action sequences that never disappoint in which Cruise risks his life – and also his limb and foot in the process – to perform the most incredible action scenes of his career. It’s an amazing experience to watch the actor perform his own stunts and realize all you’re watching is real from leaping across the rooftops of London to flying a helicopter through a gorge.

The sixth installment of the franchise counts on the director Christopher McQuarrie’s elegance which allows the audience inside Ethan Hunt’s head for the first time, raising the movie from a physical level to an emotional level. Mission: Impossible remains one of the most successful action franchises, that keeps being groundbreaking and full of jaw-dropping moments, mainly owed to Cruise.

4. Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

After 36 years, Cruise slips right back into his role as Maverick and it’s like he never stopped playing the role. With the character’s charm back, the actor does a just right job at combining it with an environment of tension that has accumulated throughout the years caused by his relation with his supervisors and by how he has dealt with grief over Goose. Thus, Cruise takes on a more mature role in the story, while keeping his adventurous side as an actor as he convinces his co-stars to train and actually fly the planes used in the movie.

While some sequels might be unnecessary, Joseph Kosinski’s Top Gun: Maverick works. Not only because of Cruise but because of the return of Jennifer Connelly and Val Kilmer and the addition of a new crew, including Miles Telles who plays Goose’s son. As such, this is definitely a nostalgic and emotional ride that touches in all the right spots that made people love the original one. Even if you haven’t watched the original Top Gun, watching the pilots complete the impossible run will definitely be thrilling.

3. Jerry Maguire (1996)

Jerry Maguire is not your typical rom-com, but, in the end, it’s still a romantic comedy and maybe one of the most human roles Tom Cruise had to play thanks to all the introspection it entails. In this film, the actor got to portray a grown-up and successful man that works as a sports agent. His performance is very intimate and cathartic, standing out from other movies of the actor. Cruise bares his soul into this movie without the need for insane stunts or artsy concepts.

Cameron Crowe’s feature might not be consensual in all its decisions, nonetheless, it’s a drama that portrays real people and feelings. Besides giving us a pretty solid performance from Tom Cruise that got him a Golden Globe and an Academy Award nomination, with Jerry Maguire, we also got to witness Cuba Gooding Jr. in an Oscar-winning role, as Jerry’s only client and friend.

2. Top Gun (1986)

Objectively speaking this movie couldn’t be number one on this list, but for many, it certainly is, hence why it deserves a second spot. While a bit cheesy, Top Gun defined a character archetype of its own, and Tom Cruise got to play the role of every guy’s dream, Maverick, in one of the best bromances ever made. While the actor had shown, in previous films, that he was talented, Top Gun definitely labeled him as a movie star, and for good reason. Cruise’s performance was both sensitive and magnetic.

Directed by Tony Scott, Top Gun was a massive success and became a part of pop culture from the 80s and 90s, living on to this day as proven by the sequel. While time keeps moving forward, after almost 40 years, this movie still holds up and keeps entertaining older and newer audiences with its flying scenes. In the end, the plot is fairly simple and can be summarized by male camaraderie and Scott’s direction led the movie to celebrate masculinity alongside sensitivity without glorifying toxic male relationships.

1. Born on the Fourth of July (1989)

Born on the Fourth of July is the most overtly political movie that Cruise has starred in, and, as a consequence, controversial. In a time when the actor was diving into dramas, he found himself portraying Kovic, a young man who was excited to go to war and then became a disabled veteran and an anti-war activist. While the plot itself is not the easiest to cover over the runtime of a feature film, Tom pulled it off and was able to provide many moving moments. In fact, he received some of the best reviews of his career, was awarded his first Golden Globe, and got his first Academy Award nomination.

Based on Kovic’s memoir, Born on the Fourth of July was praised for Oliver Stone’s restrained direction, but mainly for Tom Cruise’s delivery and he immersed himself fully into the character which presented an outstanding result. Furthermore, the actor leaves his boyish youthful look behind to discover a more mature version of himself, in a movie that carries an important message but also opens the floor for debate.

Honorable Mentions

In a filmography with more than 40 movies, it’s certainly a hard task to sum up the 10 best ones. Actually, not only hard but also not fair for some of other Cruise’s iconic movies such as Rain Man (1988), A Few Good Men (1992), Interview with the Vampire (1994), Mission: Impossible (1996), Collateral (2004), Tropic Thunder (2008).

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Top 10 Tom Cruise Movies

Movies or TV
IMDb Rating
In Theaters
Release Year

1. Minority Report (2002)

PG-13 | 145 min | Action, Crime, Mystery

John works with the PreCrime police which stop crimes before they take place, with the help of three 'PreCogs' who can foresee crimes. Events ensue when John finds himself framed for a future murder.

Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Tom Cruise , Colin Farrell , Samantha Morton , Max von Sydow

Votes: 584,087 | Gross: $132.07M

one of the most mind-blowing and ambitious movies I've ever seen...

2. Born on the Fourth of July (1989)

R | 145 min | Biography, Drama, War

The biography of Ron Kovic . Paralyzed in the Vietnam war, he becomes an anti-war and pro-human rights political activist after feeling betrayed by the country for which he fought.

Director: Oliver Stone | Stars: Tom Cruise , Bryan Larkin , Raymond J. Barry , Caroline Kava

Votes: 115,873 | Gross: $70.00M

3. Jerry Maguire (1996)

R | 139 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance

When a sports agent has a moral epiphany and is fired for expressing it, he decides to put his new philosophy to the test as an independent agent with the only athlete who stays with him and his former colleague.

Director: Cameron Crowe | Stars: Tom Cruise , Cuba Gooding Jr. , Renée Zellweger , Kelly Preston

Votes: 286,895 | Gross: $153.95M

4. A Few Good Men (1992)

R | 138 min | Drama, Thriller

Military lawyer Lieutenant Daniel Kaffee defends Marines accused of murder. They contend they were acting under orders.

Director: Rob Reiner | Stars: Tom Cruise , Jack Nicholson , Demi Moore , Kevin Bacon

Votes: 287,154 | Gross: $141.34M

5. The Last Samurai (2003)

R | 154 min | Action, Drama

Nathan Algren, a US army veteran, is hired by the Japanese emperor to train his army in the modern warfare techniques. Nathan finds himself trapped in a struggle between two eras and two worlds.

Director: Edward Zwick | Stars: Tom Cruise , Ken Watanabe , Billy Connolly , William Atherton

Votes: 470,782 | Gross: $111.11M

6. Rain Man (1988)

R | 133 min | Drama

Tom Cruise Gets His First Criterion Collection Movie Set for 4K UHD Release

Not a single film with Tom Cruise has been in the lauded Criterion Collection, until now.

Tom Cruise's Risky Business joins the prestigious Criterion Collection, marking a pivotal moment in his career.
The film is praised for blending tender romance with a sharp critique of capitalism, even if it's goofy fun on the surface.
Criterion's release includes a 4K UHD restoration, special features, and interviews, making it a must-have for film and Cruise enthusiasts.

Tom Cruise has been one of the biggest Hollywood stars for four decades, and has starred in almost 50 movies, but until today, none of them have been represented in the most prestigious film collection in the world — the Criterion Collection . The home media distributor collects the greatest or most culturally important films of all time and immaculately restores them and curates magnificent special features. And now, Cruise's 1983 film Risky Business will be the 1,227th movie added to the collection.

The Criterion Collection announced its inclusion today, April 15, with the film being released in 4K UHD (and Blu-ray) on July 23. Their summary of the film, famous for its underwear lip-sync scene, reads as follows:

" A sly piece of pop subversion, this irresistible satire of Reagan-era materialism features Tom Cruise in his star-is-born breakthrough as a Chicago suburban prepster whose college-bound life spirals out of control when his parents go out of town for the week and an enterprising call girl (Rebecca De Mornay) invites him to walk on the wild side. While Cruise boogying in his briefs yielded one of the most iconic pop-cultural moments of the 1980s, it is the film’s unexpected mix of tender romance (enhanced by a moody synth score by Tangerine Dream) and sharp-witted capitalist critique that remains fresh and daring."

Risky Business

Risky business special features and other july releases for criterion.

It's an interesting choice for the Criterion Collection, with many other Cruise films being considered superior ( Collateral, Eyes Wide Shut, The Color of Money, Magnolia ). Of course, there are licensing issues to be considered, but there are certainly good reasons for the inclusion of Risky Business . It's the film that truly announced Cruise as a cinematic presence, while also playfully deconstructing the typical sex comedies that were so popular at the time ( Porky's, Revenge of the Nerds ). The special features are as follows.

New 4K digital restorations of the director’s cut and the original theatrical release, supervised and approved by director Paul Brickman and producer Jon Avnet, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtracks
One 4K UHD disc of the film presented in Dolby Vision HDR and one Blu-ray with the film and special features
Audio commentary for the original theatrical release featuring Brickman, Avnet, and actor Tom Cruise
New interviews with Avnet and casting director Nancy Klopper
New conversation between editor Richard Chew and film historian Bobbie O’Steen
The Dream Is Always the Same: The Story of “Risky Business,” a program featuring interviews with Brickman, Avnet, cast members, and others
Screen tests with Cruise and actor Rebecca De Mornay
English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing

Why Tom Cruise Won't Return as Jack Reacher

Risky Business joins several other films for Criterion's July releases. There's a 4K UHD restoration of the all-time classic, Le Samouraï , perhaps the coolest film ever made. Farewell, My Concubine is getting a release after its beautiful restoration in 2023. Black God, White Devil will get a release, finally bringing the brilliant Brazilian Western to the masses. Wim Wenders' astonishing 2023 film Perfect Days will get a home media release from Criterion, as well. Perhaps the best inclusion of them all, however, is Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid , Sam Peckinpah's underrated, melancholic Western masterpiece with a score from Bob Dylan. You can pre-order Risky Business below:

Visit The Criterion Collection

Screen Rant

Tom cruise's 10 best movies, according to metacritic.

Tom Cruise has starred in some of the highest-grossing movies of all time and, according to Metacritic, many are well worth watching.

Tom Cruise has been one of Hollywood's most prolific and successful actors for 40 years. From the '80s to the 2010s, the man has been consistently employed and churning out films that tend to be well above average.

RELATED: The 10 Best Tom Cruise Action Movies & Where To Stream Them

From the Mission: Impossible series to smaller films like Magnolia , Cruise can do it all and continuously proves as much. As far as Metacritic is concerned, some of these films are more worthy of a rental or purchase than others. However, the actor's also been involved in more great films than can be counted on two hands.

War Of The Worlds (73)

Steven Spielberg brought H.G. Wells's classic alien invasion to the screen for the first time in a decade with the Cruise-Dakota Fanning movie War of the Worlds . The well-paced movie—with a particularly strong first act— worked as a summer blockbuster but scored with critics as well.

Spielberg's remake holds a Metascore of 73, which is a stand-in for generally favorable reviews. Furthermore, its user score was slightly higher at 7.5, which also indicates favorable marks.

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (73)

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol reinvented the franchise with a slightly altered tone, new characters, and an expanded role for Simon Pegg's Benji. Each installment that's followed has received even more fanfare and critical acclaim, however, with fans' excitement for Mission: Impossible 7 reaching a fever pitch.

The series' soft-reboot has a Metascore of 73, for generally favorable reviews, and a higher user score of 7.9, which indicates the same.

Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (75)

Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation feels less bombastic than Ghost Protocol , and it works all the better. Ghost Protocol was a big-budget spy film that managed to reinvent a franchise, and it did it supremely well, but Rogue Nation showed that personal stakes were far more effective than hanging off the side of a massive building. Rogue Nation is the act of bringing M:I back to basics; the interest is in Ethan Hunt's reaction to the mission over the objective itself, at least in terms of excellent filmmaking.

Rogue Nation holds an even higher Metascore than the film that preceded it, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol , at 75. Again, the user score is higher at 7.9.

Born On The Fourth Of July (75)

Oliver Stone's Born on the Fourth of July is one of the definitive anti-war films. This Ron Kovic biopic shows the tolls of heroism, and how attention and praise can affect us all. It's one of the better showcases for Cruise's non-action acting prowess.

RELATED: Tom Cruise's Top 10 Non-Action Movies Ranked, According To IMDb

Stone's film holds a comparable Metascore and user score, at 75 and 7.8, respectively. Both scores indicate generally favorable reviews, though there aren't many of them tallied for a Tom Cruise movie.

Risky Business (75)

In Risky Business , Cruise's breakthrough role, the actor portrays Joel Goodsen, an uptight young man who starts to live dangerously. His method of acting out: starting a brothel under his own parents' roof.

With a Metascore of 75, Risky Business received overall favorable reviews. However, its user score is atrocious, at a baffling 3.8. This score indicates generally unfavorable reviews from the public, and that's after 138 submitted ratings. Why it received this low a user rating is a mystery, because Risky Business is typically seen as a minor classic.

The Color Of Money (77)

The underrated Cruise movie The Color of Money , directed by Martin Scorsese, is a follow-up to the 1950s classic The Hustler . The film again stars Paul Newman as Fast Eddie Felson, who is now training Cruise's young poolhall regular.

Cruise's first, and still only, collaboration with Martin Scorsese holds a Metascore of 77, which indicates mostly favorable ratings. It also holds a user score of 7.7, so for once it seems the critics and audience were in line about the quality of the film.

Magnolia (77)

Magnolia is more an ensemble piece than a star vehicle, but Cruise still has arguably the best role of the film. Teamed, for the most part, with Jason Robards, Cruise really gets to flex his emotive muscles in what is arguably the deepest performance of his career.

RELATED: Paul Thomas Anderson's 10 Favorite Movies, Ranked According To IMDb

While Anderson's film holds a generally favorable Metascore of 77, its user score is much lower at 4.5, which indicates average ratings. This is not entirely unsurprising, considering much of Anderson's work, particularly Magnolia and Phantom Thread , aren't for everyone.

Jerry Maguire (77)

Cameron Crowe's Jerry Maguire , one of the best 90s rom-coms , follows a selfish sports agent as he turns his back on the way his work is done. He stops viewing people as commodities and even starts to open his heart to young single mom Dorothy Boyd, who was the one person to join him as he left his agency.

Unlike Magnolia , where the Metascore was higher than the user score, Jerry Maguire has a higher user score than it does Metascore. For the latter, Crowe's film holds a rating of 77, which indicates overall favorable reviews. Then there was the user score at 8.4, which signifies universal acclaim.

Minority Report (80)

Steven Spielberg's great tech noir, Minority Report , based on a short story by the great Philip K. Dick, is easily one of Cruise's most inventive and rewatchable films. The actor is a natural fit for a director of Spielberg's prowess, and like in the later War of the Worlds , the director elicits one of Cruise's better performances.

Minority Report 's Metascore of 80 indicates favorable reviews, as does its lower user score of 7.1. Even still, these scores are towards the upper end of being "generally favorable."

Mission: Impossible - Fallout (86)

The sixth installment of the Mission: Impossible franchise is a rarity. As most film or television series progress, their quality decreases. However, in the cast of Mission: Impossible - Fallout , the sixth time was the charm. Fallout is the most exciting and well-put-together movie of the entire series.

Mission: Impossible - Fallout is the only Tom Cruise film to receive universal acclaim and a Metacritic Must-See badge. At 86, the Metascore is higher than the user score at 8.3, though this still signifies universal acclaim.

NEXT: The Most Anticipated Movies Of 2022 According To IMDB's Data

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Tom Cruise Movies Ranked
All Tom Cruise Movies, Ranked By Tomatometer. Top Gun: Maverick is back in theaters for Rotten Tomatoes' 25th anniversary screening series at AMC — get tickets now!. From his teen idol days in the early '80s to his status as a marquee-lighting leading man today, Tom Cruise has consistently done it all for decades — he's completed impossible missions, learned about Wapner time in Rain ...
10 Best Tom Cruise Movies, Ranked
138 minutes. A Few Good Men is a legal drama that stars Tom Cruise as a military lawyer defending two U.S. Marines charged with murder. One of the best movies based on a stage play, it marks the screenwriting debut of Aaron Sorkin, adapting his own work, and showcases some of the best dialogue ever written.
Tom Cruise's Top 25 Movies...
73 Metascore. An alien invasion threatens the future of humanity. The catastrophic nightmare is depicted through the eyes of one American family fighting for survival. Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning, Tim Robbins, Miranda Otto. Votes: 474,775 | Gross: $234.28M.
The 10 Best Tom Cruise Movies, Ranked
In the interest of keeping this Tom Cruise Top 10 lean and mean we've decided to only pick the best film from franchise s - the one that best represents Cruise's strengths as an actor. Top 10 Tom ...
Tom Cruise's 10 Best Movies Ranked
6) Top Gun: Maverick. A sequel 36 years in the making, besieged by pandemic-induced release date delays, with a brand new writer and director on board, and the follow-up to one of the most beloved ...
The 10 best Tom Cruise movies, ranked
From his early dramatic turns in legal dramas and sports pictures, to his franchise work in Top Gun and Mission: Impossible, there are plenty of options to enjoy the best Tom Cruise movies. 10 ...
Best Tom Cruise Movies & Performances Ranked
Variety ranks the best performances and movies of Tom Cruise's career so far, from "Jerry Maguire" to "Top Gun."
10 Best Tom Cruise Movies, Ranked According to IMDb
1 'Top Gun: Maverick' (2022) IMDb Rating: 8.3/10. Top Gun: Maverick is the long-awaited sequel to one of the most iconic and beloved Tom Cruise movies. The original Top Gun follows Cruise as ...
Best Tom Cruise Movies, Ranked
16. Top Gun (1986) Tony Scott 's crowd-pleasing romance flew Tom Cruise's star to the highest of highs. As a hotshot young aviator training at Top Gun Naval Fighter Weapons; School, Cruise ...
Top 10 TOM CRUISE movies
10 titles. 1. Jack Reacher (2012) PG-13 | 130 min | Action, Mystery, Thriller. 7. Rate. 50 Metascore. A homicide investigator digs deeper into a case involving a trained military sniper responsible for a mass shooting. Director: Christopher McQuarrie | Stars: Tom Cruise, Rosamund Pike, Richard Jenkins, Werner Herzog.
The Top 10 Best Tom Cruise Movies
The Top 10 Best Tom Cruise Movies. Menu. Movies. Release Calendar Top 250 Movies Most Popular Movies Browse Movies by Genre Top Box Office Showtimes & Tickets Movie News India ... Director: Brian De Palma | Stars: Tom Cruise, Jon Voight, Emmanuelle Béart, Henry Czerny. Votes: 467,860 | Gross: $180.98M. 2. The Last Samurai (2003) R | 154 min ...
Top 10 Best Tom Cruise Movies: A Ranked List
Welcome to Tom Cruise's top 10 movies of all time, ranked. 10. A Few Good Men (1992) In one of history's great acting duels, Cruise, as a callow military defense attorney trying to save two recruits accused of murder, faces formidable officer Jack Nicholson, who bellows, "You can't handle the truth!".
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By subscribing, you agree to our. All about the life and career of the ageless actor Tom Cruise. Over 4K filmgoers have voted on the 40+ Best Tom Cruise Movies, Ranked By Fans. Current Top 3: Top Gun, A Few Good Men, Top Gun: Maverick.
Tom Cruise's 10 Best Movies, According To Ranker
The Firm (1993) The Firm is one of Cruise's most famous thrillers to date, telling the story of an ambitious young lawyer who finds himself caught up in a dangerous murder case after accepting a job from a seemingly corrupt law firm. It's one of the actor's most gripping and engaging films, with a story that is sure to have any viewer on the ...
The top 20 Tom Cruise movies
3. A Few Good Men (1992) Pure cinematic pleasure. Cruise is known as a screen-chewer, but it is too rarely acknowledged how good he is at playing second fiddle to a true ham: Hoffman in Rain Man ...
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Updated May 26, 2022. From Jerry Maguire to Top Gun: Maverick, these are the best Tom Cruise movies ever according to Rotten Tomatoes. The release of Top Gun: Maverick looks to be yet another stunning achievement in the career of Tom Cruise. He is one of the biggest movie stars in the world, and this is mostly down to his versatility as an actor.
Tom Cruise Movies Ranked from Worst to Best
Stay gold, Ponyboy. 23. The Last Samurai. While the combination of the film's title and the giant image of Tom Cruise on the poster rubbed many the wrong way, The Last Samurai is actually a ...
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Tom Cruise's Plane Stunt Defined Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation. Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One Thrived in 2023. Top Gun: Maverick Revived a Legendary Tale. Mission: Impossible - Fallout is a Tom Cruise Masterpiece. Tom Cruise is one of the most important and dynamic action stars of all time.
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Tom Cruise's top 10 best movie performances. From 'Risky Business' to 'Edge of Tomorrow,' Cruise's best work from the past four decades
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Here's the top 10 Best Tom Cruise movies ranked. Twinfinite is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more. At 60 ...
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Tom Cruise filmography. Tom Cruise is an American actor and producer who made his film debut with a minor role in the 1981 romantic drama Endless Love. [1] [2] Two years later he made his breakthrough by starring in the romantic comedy Risky Business (1983), [3] [4] which garnered his first nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor ...
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Mission: Impossible (1996) - $457.7 Million. An easy pick for the list of top-ranked Tom Cruise movies, the actor made it big with Mission: Impossible. Cruise was already a bona fide box office draw by then, but Mission: Impossible solidified him as an action icon, raking in a big $457 million gross by the end of its run, according to Box ...
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Top 10 Tom Cruise Movies. 1. Minority Report (2002) PG-13 | 145 min | Action, Crime, Mystery. John works with the PreCrime police which stop crimes before they take place, with the help of three 'PreCogs' who can foresee crimes. Events ensue when John finds himself framed for a future murder.
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And now, Cruise's 1983 film Risky Business will be the 1,227th movie added to the collection. The Criterion Collection announced its inclusion today, April 15, with the film being released in 4K ...
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It's one of the better showcases for Cruise's non-action acting prowess. RELATED: Tom Cruise's Top 10 Non-Action Movies Ranked, According To IMDb. Stone's film holds a comparable Metascore and user score, at 75 and 7.8, respectively. Both scores indicate generally favorable reviews, though there aren't many of them tallied for a Tom Cruise movie.

Tom Cruise’s 16 Best Performances: From ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ to ‘Magnolia’

Clayton Davis

Edge of Tomorrow (2014)

Risky Business (1983)

Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994)

The Firm (1993)

Mission: Impossible (1995)

Rain Man (1988)

Collateral (2004)

Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

Top Gun (1986)

Tropic Thunder (2008)

Jerry Maguire (1996)

A Few Good Men (1992)

Minority Report (2002)

Born on the Fourth of July (1989)

Magnolia (1999)

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The Best Tom Cruise Movies of All Time, Ranked

10. A Few Good Men (1992)

9. The Color of Money (1986)

8. Born on the Fourth of July (1989)

7. Collateral (2004)

6. Minority Report (2002)

5. Mission: Impossible — Fallout (2018)

4. Rain Man (1988)

3. Risky Business (1983)

2. Jerry Maguire (1996)

1. Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

The 40+ Best Tom Cruise Movies, Ranked By Fans

A Few Good Men

Top Gun: Maverick

Mission: Impossible

Jerry Maguire

Edge of Tomorrow

Minority Report

The Last Samurai

Risky Business

Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol

Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation

Interview with the Vampire (1994)

Mission: Impossible - Fallout

Days of Thunder

The Outsiders

The Color of Money

Jack Reacher

Born on the Fourth of July

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One

Mission: Impossible III

Tropic Thunder

War of the Worlds

Far and Away

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The top 20 Tom Cruise movies – ranked!

20. Far and Away (1992)

19. War of the Worlds (2005)

18. Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

17. Days of Thunder (1990)

16. All the Right Moves (1983)

15. The Firm (1993)

14. Interview With the Vampire (1994)

13. Cocktail (1988)

12. The Colour of Money (1986)

11. Tropic Thunder (2008)

10. Collateral (2004)

9. Rain Man (1988)

8. Minority Report (2002)

7. The Outsiders (1983)

6. Jerry Maguire (1996)

5. Mission: Impossible (1996)

4. Born on the Fourth of July (1989)

3. A Few Good Men (1992)

2. Magnolia (1999)

1. Top Gun (1986)

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Every Tom Cruise Movie Ranked from Worst to Best