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. He started off starring in action-packed blockbusters, but he’s also proven that he has comedic chops and held his own in more contemplative dramas.
Few actors have the rare combination of talent and charisma that Cruise has – and on top of that, he’s fiercely dedicated, doing most of his own stunts and not letting something silly like a broken bone stop him. With Top Gun: Maverick earning rave reviews, fans may be interested in seeing which of Cruise's movies critics loved the most.
Tropic Thunder (2008) - 82%
- Available on Paramount+
It is not often Cruise gets the chance to show off his comedic skills, but he stole the show in the hilarious satire Tropic Thunder. The movie follows a group of self-involved Hollywood actors filming a war movie who find themselves in a real life-and-death situation. Cruise plays the turbulent and in-your-face studio executive.
Director Ben Stiller was praised for handling the action elements of the movie as well as the great comedic aspects. It made for a wild and hugely entertaining comedy in the minds of critics, with Robert Downey Jr's unforgettable performance also being singled out.
Magnolia (1999) - 83%
- Available on Kanopy
Given his star power, it is not often that Cruise appears as part of an ensemble. However, his ing role in Paul Thomas Anderson's Magnolia earned Cruise an Oscar nomination. The movie follows various characters through their day that builds into one story. Cruise plays a bombastic and vulgar motivational speaker of "men's rights."
With the likes of Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and John C. Reilly, critics were most impressed with the collective performances the movie delivers. They also found that Anderson's ambitious story was a fascinating one overall.
A Few Good Men (1992) - 83%
- Available on DIRECTV and Spectrum on Demand
Though he was certainly a big star at the time of A Few Good Men, this movie proved Cruise was as powerful a presence on film that he could hold his own opposite Jack Nicholson. The courtroom drama written by Aaron Sorkin stars Cruise as a lawyer defending two soldiers accused of killing a fellow soldier in a hazing incident.
The movie's star-studded cast also includes Demi Moore and Kevin Bacon. It was seen by most critics as a gripping throwback legal thriller that was further elevated by its actors, especially Nicholson with an iconic performance.
Jerry Maguire (1996) - 84%
- Available on DIRECTV, TNT, TBS and Spectrum on Demand
The romantic-comedy genre is one that Cruise is not often seen in which is surprising considering how big of a success he had with Jerry Maguire. He plays the titular character, a sports agent who finds himself fired with only one loudmouth client and an endlessly loyal assistant to keep him afloat.
Critics praised not only the lead performance from Cruise but also his co-stars Renee Zellweger and Cuba Gooding Jr. Cameron Crowe's funny, touching and sharp script found a rare combination of a romance story and an exciting sports movie.
American Made (2017) - 85%
- Available on Fubo TV
Along with Top Gun and its anticipated sequel, American Made proves that Cruise has a lot of luck when he's flying a plane. The crime movie is based on a true story that stars Cruise as Barry Seal, an American pilot who becomes a drug-runner for the CIA in the 1980s.
It is fun to see Cruise play a character who is less heroic than his usual roles. Many critics point to Cruise's high-energy and charismatic performance that really sets the tone for this very entertaining and bizarre story.
Collateral (2004) - 86%
- Available on HBO, HBO Max, Max Go, DIRECTV and Spectrum on Demand
Collateral is a fascinating two-hander focusing on the relationship between two strangers. Tom Cruise plays a hitman with jobs all over L.A. and Jamie Foxx plays the mild-mannered cab driver he’s commandeered for the night. The two share spectacular on-screen chemistry that keeps the whole thing riveting from start to finish.
Michael Mann directs this slick thriller with gusto – a midpoint neon-lit nightclub shootout stands out as a highlight – but it’s really Cruise and Foxx’s acting that keeps you hooked. Stuart Beattie masterfully introduces his characters in the first act, escalates the tension slowly throughout the second act, and delivers a gut-punch finale in the third.
Born on the Fourth of July (1989) - 86%
- Available to rent on Apple TV
A biopic of Vietnam veteran Ron Kovic, Born on the Fourth of July was the second installment in the Vietnam War trilogy directed by Oliver Stone, who is also a veteran of the conflict. Like Kovic, Stone returned from battle with a staunchly anti-war stance and began conveying that in his films.
So, when the director took on a film adaptation of Kovic’s memoir, it was like a match made in Heaven. Stone and Kovic collaborated on the script together, so this is more accurate – and more political – than your average, run-of-the-mill biopic. Tom Cruise’s angry, bitter portrayal of Kovic told audiences that he wasn’t afraid to play an imperfect character.
Rain Man (1988) - 89%
- Available on HBO, HBO Max, DIRECTV and Spectrum on Demand
Although its use of an able-bodied actor to play a disabled role would be considered controversial in today’s climate, Rain Man is a fantastic movie, mixing comedy and drama in pitch-perfect ways and capturing the relationship of two brothers beautifully.
Tom Cruise stars as Charlie Babbitt, who finds out he has an autistic brother named Raymond (played by Dustin Hoffman) from his wealthy father’s will and finds that he’s good at counting cards and takes him to Vegas to win big. Cruise plays Charlie as unlikable, conflicted, and irritable, which leads to some truly interesting character development and well-acted scenes.
The Color of Money (1986) - 89%
- Available on Prime Video, Paramount+, Epix, DIRECTV and Spectrum on Demand
Martin Scorsese’s belated sequel to The Hustler brought Paul Newman back to the role of “Fast Eddie” Felson to mentor a new student, played by Tom Cruise. The Color of Money is basically detached from The Hustler – the two work just as well on their own – but it’s still a terrific movie.
Until this movie came along, moviegoers thought that Tom Cruise was just some pretty-boy actor. However, holding his own opposite a screen legend like Paul Newman under the direction of a master like Scorsese, he won over those audiences and proved that he had some serious acting chops.
Minority Report (2002) - 90%
- Available to rent on Apple TV
Philip K. Dick has always been a rich source of cinematic material. This Steven Spielberg sci-fi actioner has a juicy premise – focusing on a futuristic police force that can predict crimes before they even take place – and has an even juicier plot to back it up.
Minority Report stars Tom Cruise as John Anderton, who is determined to be murdering a man he’s never met in three days and has 72 hours to figure out who this person is and why he’s going to kill him. In an almost impossible feat, the movie’s execution lives up to its lucrative setup from beginning to end.
