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 Man, driven the highway to the danger zone in Top Gun, and done wonders for Bob Seger’s royalty statements in Risky Business, to offer just a few examples. Mr. Cruise is one of the few honest-to-goodness film stars left in the Hollywood firmament, so whether you’re a hardcore fan or just interested in a refresher course on his filmography, we’re here to take a fond look back at a truly impressive career and rank all Tom Cruise movies.
#1
Adjusted Score: 119287%
Critics Consensus: Fast, sleek, and fun, Mission: Impossible – Fallout lives up to the “impossible” part of its name by setting yet another high mark for insane set pieces in a franchise full of them.
#2
Adjusted Score: 118100%
Critics Consensus: Top Gun: Maverick pulls off a feat even trickier than a 4G inverted dive, delivering a long-belated sequel that surpasses its predecessor in wildly entertaining style.
#3
Adjusted Score: 106577%
Critics Consensus: Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation continues the franchise’s thrilling resurgence — and proves that Tom Cruise remains an action star without equal.
#4
Adjusted Score: 102248%
Critics Consensus: Stylish, fast-paced, and loaded with gripping set pieces, the fourth Mission: Impossible is big-budget popcorn entertainment that really works.
#5
Adjusted Score: 95404%
Critics Consensus: Featuring one of Tom Cruise’s best early performances, Risky Business is a sharp, funny examination of teen angst that doesn’t stop short of exploring dark themes.
#6
Adjusted Score: 104509%
Critics Consensus: Gripping, well-acted, funny, and clever, Edge of Tomorrow offers entertaining proof that Tom Cruise is still more than capable of shouldering the weight of a blockbuster action thriller.
#7
Adjusted Score: 98472%
Critics Consensus: Thought-provoking and visceral, Steven Spielberg successfully combines high concept ideas and high octane action in this fast and febrile sci-fi thriller.
#8
Adjusted Score: 98456%
Critics Consensus: This road-trip movie about an autistic savant and his callow brother is far from seamless, but Barry Levinson’s direction is impressive, and strong performances from Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman add to its appeal.
#9
Adjusted Score: 91625%
Critics Consensus: That it’s inferior to the original goes without saying, but Paul Newman and Tom Cruise are a joy to watch, and Martin Scorsese’s direction is typically superb.
#10
Adjusted Score: 94453%
Critics Consensus: Driven by director Michael Mann’s trademark visuals and a lean, villainous performance from Tom Cruise, Collateral is a stylish and compelling noir thriller.
#11
Adjusted Score: 88498%
Critics Consensus: Led by an unforgettable performance from Tom Cruise, Born on the Fourth of July finds director Oliver Stone tackling thought-provoking subject matter with ambitious élan.
#12
Adjusted Score: 103812%
Critics Consensus: American Made‘s fast-and-loose attitude with its real-life story mirrors the cavalier — and delightfully watchable — energy Tom Cruise gives off in the leading role.
#13
Adjusted Score: 88705%
Critics Consensus: An old-fashioned courtroom drama with a contemporary edge, A Few Good Men succeeds on the strength of its stars, with Tom Cruise, Demi Moore, and especially Jack Nicholson delivering powerful performances that more than compensate for the predictable plot.
#14
Adjusted Score: 88773%
Critics Consensus: Anchored by dazzling performances from Tom Cruise, Cuba Gooding Jr., and Renée Zellweger, as well as Cameron Crowe’s tender direction, Jerry Maguire meshes romance and sports with panache.
#15
Adjusted Score: 89681%
Critics Consensus: Magnolia is an ambitious, lengthy work that ultimately succeeds due to interesting stories and excellent ensemble performances.
#16
Adjusted Score: 91542%
Critics Consensus: With biting satire, plenty of subversive humor, and an unforgettable turn by Robert Downey, Jr., Tropic Thunder is a triumphant late Summer comedy.
#17
Adjusted Score: 82468%
Critics Consensus: Kubrick’s intense study of the human psyche yields an impressive cinematic work.
#18
Adjusted Score: 80172%
Critics Consensus: The Firm is a big studio thriller that amusingly tears apart the last of 1980s boardroom culture and the false securities it represented.
#19
Adjusted Score: 85088%
Critics Consensus: Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of War of the Worlds delivers on the thrill and paranoia of H.G. Wells’ classic novel while impressively updating the action and effects for modern audiences.
#20
Adjusted Score: 79101%
Critics Consensus: Fast-paced, with eye-popping stunts and special effects, the latest Mission: Impossible installment delivers everything an action fan could ask for. A thrilling summer popcorn flick.
#21
Adjusted Score: 73494%
Critics Consensus: The cracks continue to show in Coppola’s directorial style, but The Outsiders remains a blustery, weird, and fun adaptation of the classic novel.
#22
Adjusted Score: 68932%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#23
Adjusted Score: 70234%
Critics Consensus: Full of special effects, Brian DePalma’s update of Mission: Impossible has a lot of sweeping spectacle, but the plot is sometimes convoluted.
#24
Adjusted Score: 73345%
Critics Consensus: With high production values and thrilling battle scenes, The Last Samurai is a satisfying epic.
#25
Adjusted Score: 66091%
Critics Consensus: Despite lacking some of the book’s subtler shadings, and suffering from some clumsy casting, Interview with a Vampire benefits from Neil Jordan’s atmospheric direction and a surfeit of gothic thrills.
#26
Adjusted Score: 70044%
Critics Consensus: Jack Reacher is an above-average crime thriller with a smoothly charismatic performance from Tom Cruise.
#27
Adjusted Score: 64157%
Critics Consensus: All the Right Moves is an uncommonly grim coming-of-age drama that overcomes numerous clichés with its realistic approach to its characters and setting.
#28
Adjusted Score: 69292%
Critics Consensus: Given the subject matter, Valkyrie could have been an outstanding historical thriller, but settles for being a mildly entertaining, but disposable yarn.
#29
Adjusted Score: 64323%
Critics Consensus: Though it features some of the most memorable and electrifying aereial footage shot with an expert eye for action, Top Gun offers too little for non-adolescent viewers to chew on when its characters aren’t in the air.
#30
Adjusted Score: 61253%
Critics Consensus: Your cranium may crave more substance, but your eyes will feast on the amazing action sequences.
#31
Adjusted Score: 64016%
Critics Consensus: Visually striking but thinly scripted, Oblivion benefits greatly from its strong production values and an excellent performance from Tom Cruise.
#32
Adjusted Score: 60544%
Critics Consensus: It’s pure formula, but thanks to its breezy pace and a pair of charming performances from Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz, Knight and Day offers some agreeably middle-of-the-road summer action.
#33
Adjusted Score: 50500%
Critics Consensus: Handsome and simplistic, Far and Away has the beauty of an American epic without the breadth.
#34
Adjusted Score: 52088%
Critics Consensus: Its exuberant silliness is almost enough to make up for its utter inconsequentiality, but Rock of Ages is ultimately too bland and overlong to justify its trip to the big screen.
#35
Adjusted Score: 49436%
Critics Consensus: An ambitious mix of genres, Vanilla Sky collapses into an incoherent jumble. Cruise’s performance lacks depth, and it’s hard to feel sympathy for his narcissistic character.
#36
Adjusted Score: 43775%
Critics Consensus: Not even Ridley Scott’s gorgeously realized set pieces can save Legend from its own tawdry tale — though it may be serviceable for those simply looking for fantasy eye candy.
#37
Adjusted Score: 51633%
Critics Consensus: Monotonously formulaic, Jack Reacher: Never Go Back is one action thriller sequel whose title also serves as a warning.
#38
Adjusted Score: 41148%
Critics Consensus: Days of Thunder has Tom Cruise and plenty of flash going for it, but they aren’t enough to compensate for the stock plot, two-dimensional characters, and poorly written dialogue.
#39
Adjusted Score: 33832%
Critics Consensus: Despite its powerhouse cast, Lions for Lambs feels like a disjointed series of lectures, rather than a sharp narrative, and ends up falling flat.
#40
Adjusted Score: 17729%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#41
Adjusted Score: 37017%
Critics Consensus: Lacking the campy fun of the franchise’s most recent entries and failing to deliver many monster-movie thrills, The Mummy suggests a speedy unraveling for the Dark Universe.
#42
Adjusted Score: 11485%
Critics Consensus: There are no surprises in Cocktail, a shallow, dramatically inert romance that squanders Tom Cruise’s talents in what amounts to a naive barkeep’s banal fantasy.