As Tom Cruise seemingly takes a well-deserved break from theMission: Impossibleseries, it’s time to look back at his rivetingactionmovies that have thrilled audiences for years. Whether the focus is more on the action or more on the thriller, the best Tom Cruise movies on the list feature a healthy mix of both to entertain audiences.
Tom Cruise has starred in nearly 40 movies across his career spanning 4 decades, and while not all of them are action-centric, these ones have the most memorable action that audiences might want to watch, or rewatch, after jumping into the epic world of the Mission: Impossible series.
Spielberg and Cruise are a great match, and this sci-fi action movie has Spielberg directing Cruise into deadly escapades as he tries to save his family from an impending alien invasion, where there’s no rhyme or reason to the senseless attacks sweeping the world.War of the Worldsis intense and grizzly in nature, and the action spectacles of sci-fi elements in the real world are heart-stopping as Tom Cruisedives into the middle of it all.
Steven Spielberg never disappoints, andMinority Reportcomes in as one of his most intense movies, bolstered by Tom Cruise’s intriguing performance as a police officer who is trying to clear his name after being framed for a murder that he has yet to commit. While more of a suspenseful thriller thanan action movie,Minority Reportcertainly has its breathtaking moments where audiences are on the edge of their seats to see what Tom Cruise will do next to get himself out of this police-wide hunt.
Knight and Dayis hilarious, in part because Tom Cruise plays a satire of his most famous roles. His character, Roy Miller, is the embodiment of his action stardom: brave, skillful, intense, and unwittingly creepy as he hits on and flirts with Cameron Diaz’s June Havens, a character who has unwillingly gotten herself entangled in the lethal adventure of Roy. With fun gun action and great chemistry between the romantic pairing of Cruise and Diaz,Knight and Dayis an assured fun time.
While Jack Reacher is a character more associated with Amazon Prime Video’s tall and buff Alan Ritchson, he was previously played on the silver screen by Tom Cruise. The firstJack Reachermovie in 2012 was the start of a beautiful cinematic collaboration between Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie, and the film itselffollows Jack Reacher, an expert military man who takes justice into his own hands to investigate a string of murders that lead him down a path of action and danger.
While Tom Cruise usually involves himself in the role of a hero, this Michael Mann-directed movie has Cruise take the role of a contract killer – a man who isn’t ashamed by what he is, and won’t let anyone get in his way.CollateralhasTom Cruise at his most intense, where audiences are watching for his every move because his breaking point could hit at any moment. The intensity between Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx is unparalleled in their dynamic as a paid killer and his cab driver hostage, filled with death at every stop.
Top Gun: Maverickmanaged to defy expectations and blow everyone away with a sequel with heart and action. While most might assume this is a movie about Tom Cruise training new recruits for some fun banter and beach volleyball, it goes a lot deeper as Cruise’s character is forced to confront his past and the face of his dead best friend’s son, all while trying to stop nuclear warfare from breaking out with a set of thrilling scenes in fighter jets that will have audiences blown back in their seats and theirhearts thumping with every moment.
Edge of Tomorrowis certainly a change of pace from Tom Cruise as he tackles aliens directly in an exosuit. While Cruise usually plays stoic and confident heroes who never die,Edge of Tomorrowsomewhat makes fun of Cruise’s own style by forcing him into a more cowardly role and killing him… again, and again, and again.Edge of Tomorrowdoesn’t just have humorous ways for Cruise to cheat death, but it’s a riveting andrewarding actionspectacle as Tom Cruise battles alien forces with Emily Blunt.
While this entire list could be filled withnothing butMission: Impossiblemovies, it feels like there should be more of a focus on films outside of that franchise. However, if there had to be oneMission: Impossiblemovie, then it deserves to beMission: Impossible – Fallout.Falloutis filled with action and intensity, with Tom Cruise carrying the movie on his back as he weaves between mountains in a helicopter, jumps from rooftops and planes, and attempts to uncover a cabal of rogue agents to stop nuclear Armageddon from engulfing the world for this impossible mission.
