You had us at “Tom Cruise.”

The 15 best Tom Cruise movies ranked — yes, including Digger

You had us at “Tom Cruise.”

By Wesley Stenzel

Wesley Stenzel

Wesley Stenzel is a news writer at **. He began writing for EW in 2022.

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October 2, 2026 4:30 p.m. ET

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Tom Cruise in ‘Magnolia,’ ‘Jerry Maguire,’ ‘Top Gun,’ ‘Risky Business,’ and ‘Digger’. Credit:

Paramount Pictures; TriStar Pictures; Everett Collection; Dreamworks; Warner Bros./Getty

“There will never be another Tom Cruise.”

So declared Glen Powell, whom the iconic star mentored on and off-screen for 2022’s *Top Gun: Maverick*. Indeed, the conditions that produced Cruise — a global monoculture, a healthier Hollywood ecosystem, a stronger delineation between TV and cinema — are unlikely to recur in the streaming era. It’s difficult to imagine any American entertainer ever achieving a similar level of fame and cultural impact.

Yet Cruise’s sheer fame isn’t what makes him a great movie star —** **it’s what he’s done with the notoriety. At the height of his superstardom, he sought out ambitious, unusual projects from legendary filmmakers like Stanley Kubrick and Steven Spielberg *and* then-rising talents like Paul Thomas Anderson and Cameron Crowe. He’d already made great films in almost every genre — the coming-of-age dramedy, the courtroom thriller, contemporary and period romances — before solidifying himself as his generation’s defining action star.

With his latest venture, the audacious and divisive *Digger*, now in theaters, ** has ranked Cruise’s best performances to date. Read on for our list of the top 15 Tom Cruise movies.

Digger (2026)

Tom Cruise in ‘Digger’.

Warner Bros. Pictures

Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s climate crisis satire casts Cruise as an eccentric oil baron whose mistakes send the world into a cataclysmic spiral. Much has been made of the physical transformation that the actor underwent to portray Digger Rockwell — he’s caked in an absurd amount of makeup to make him look like an overweight older gentleman with thinning white hair and a huge belly — but the real transformation is in Cruise’s performance, as he throws caution to the wind and shouts in a Southern accent while wildly gesticulating, all while remaining utterly unlikable. And there’s an extra layer of raw naturalism to his performance that isn’t obvious from the film’s marketing.

Where to watch *Digger*: In theaters

The Color of Money (1986)

Tom Cruise and Paul Newman in ‘The Color of Money’.

Buena Vista Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

Cruise’s lone collaboration with Martin Scorsese came in this pro-pool drama — a sequel to 1961’s *The Hustler* with Paul Newman reprising his role as “Fast Eddie” Felson, the hard-edged mentor to Cruise’s cocky nine-ball whiz Vincent.

*The Color of Money* and Cruise’s other 1986 project, *Top Gun*, established the star persona that he carries into almost every future film: a preternaturally talented, effortlessly charming golden boy oozing confidence and intensity, whose biggest challenges arise not from a lack of skill or competence, but from the thorniness of his ego and his fraught relationships with father figures.

The film simultaneously functions as a passing-of-the-torch moment between two legendary stars and a celebration of Newman, who won his only (and long-overdue) Oscar for his performance.

Where to watch *The Color of Money*: Amazon Prime Video (to rent)**

Born on the Fourth of July (1989)

Tom Cruise in ‘Born on the Fourth of July’.

Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection

In Oliver Stone’s harrowing war drama, Cruise plays Ron Kovic, a real-life Marine veteran who, in his autobiography *Born on the Fourth of July*, documented his worldview’s radical shift after enlisting in the Vietnam War and becoming paralyzed on the battlefield.

In the film’s early scenes, Cruise displays a naive, unwavering patriotism that seamlessly meshed with the actor’s military heroics in *Top Gun* three years earlier — which makes Kovic’s stark transition to impassioned anti-war advocacy all the more surprising in the runtime’s second half.

It’s here that the actor first fully uncorks the bottled rage that seems to be simmering under the surface of most of his performances, channeling it into the righteous fury of a man who feels betrayed by his country and misled by its values.

Where to watch *Born on the Fourth of July*: Amazon Prime Video (to rent)

Far and Away (1992)

Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman in ‘Far and Away’.

Phillip Caruso/Universal

One of Cruise’s only attempts at a non-American accent came in *Far and Away*, an immigrant drama partially inspired by the Irish-American ancestors of director Ron Howard. In their second of three on-screen collaborations (between *Days of Thunder* and *Eyes Wide Shut*), then-real-life spouses Cruise and Nicole Kidman have their strongest romantic chemistry, sharing more screentime here than in their other two projects combined.

The film sees tenant farmer Joseph (Cruise) reluctantly flee to the United States with Shannon (Kidman), the rebellious daughter of his wealthy landlord. The diametrically opposed companions barely know each other when they traverse the Atlantic and share a sizzling, contentious flirtation while forced to adapt to a new culture.

*Far and Away*’s sweeping scale, energetic banter, and gorgeous visuals ensure it’s among Cruise’s most romantic love stories.

Where to watch *Far and Away*: Amazon Prime Video (to rent)

Collateral (2004)

Tom Cruise in ‘Collateral’.

DreamWorks/Courtesy Everett Collection

Michael Mann’s tense crime thriller asks a chilling question: What if a Tom Cruise character was just straight-up evil (and also unironically used the word “homie”)? As the mysterious contract killer Vincent, Cruise brings his usual on-screen qualities — strict professionalism, precise physicality, ruthless persistence — but turns them on their head to embody a terrifying, amoral murderer.

The film sees Vincent force Jamie Foxx’s mild-mannered taxi driver Max to chauffeur him around Los Angeles as he performs a string of chilling assassinations. All the while, Cruise maintains an unflinching, steely gaze that suggests he’s *constantly* considering the most efficient method of wiping out everyone in his field of vision. He’s a cold, unfeeling killing machine — especially in the film’s standout nightclub shootout sequence that echoes *The Terminator*.

Where to watch *Collateral*: Paramount+

Tom Cruise pays tribute to late Val Kilmer's 'exhilarating' 'Top Gun' performance

‘Digger’ first reactions praise Tom Cruise’s ‘amazing’ performance in ‘a very mixed bag’ of a movie

Risky Business (1983)

Tom Cruise in ‘Risky Business’.

Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection

Cruise’s star-making turn in this stylish teen drama sees the his boyish charm at an all-time high. As wealthy high school student Joel, Cruise embraces his character’s earnest dorkiness at the film’s start. Considering the machismo and swagger of his future roles, it’s almost jarring to see him play such a naïve sweetie-pie without an ounce of irony or cool factor.

Yet Cruise’s inherent magnetism still shines through in even the corniest moments — the “Old Time Rock and Roll” underpants-and-socks dance endures for a reason. As the film progresses and Joel descends into a darker world of exploitation and cruelty, Cruise gradually chips away at his innocence to reveal a sober, world-weary demeanor. Concluding the movie as a surprisingly mature teenager is a fascinating transition into a decade-plus of Cruise playing immature grown-ups.

Where to watch *Risky Business*: Paramount+

War of the Worlds (2005)

Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning, and Justin Chatwin in ‘War of the Worlds’.

Frank Masi/Paramount

In one of his only performances as an ostensibly normal guy, Cruise brings magnificent dirtbag energy to *War of the Worlds*’ Ray, a working-class deadbeat dad whose one weekend with his kids (Dakota Fanning and Justin Chatwin) overlaps with an alien invasion.

Director Steven Spielberg’s body of work is notoriously full of divorced dads, but this film marks a rare attempt at framing the absentee father figure as a sympathetic protagonist, rather than an unsupportive side character or an unseen agent of disappointment.

Cruise excels at highlighting Ray’s total parental ignorance. Though the character’s survival instincts allow him to *just barely* navigate the apocalyptic landscape, his utter failure to understand children makes him one of Cruise’s most incompetent characters, leading to numerous moments of comedic gold and even more instances of alarming patheticness. Here, the star and director successfully ride the cultural wave of post-9/11 anxiety, making the film one of the darkest projects in either of their filmographies.

Where to watch *War of the Worlds*: Paramount+

A Few Good Men (1992)

Jack Nicholson and Tom Cruise in ‘A Few Good Men’.

Sidney Baldwin/Castle Rock

Cruise’s most verbose role comes in Rob Reiner’s adaptation of the fast-paced play by Aaron Sorkin, who also wrote the screenplay. The actor stars as Daniel Kaffee, the cocky lieutenant junior grade naval attorney who reluctantly defends two Marines (Wolfgang Bodison and James Marshall) accused of murdering their fellow officer at Guantanamo Bay.

Like most Sorkin ventures, *A Few Good Men* romanticizes process and procedure. Many of the movie’s most thrilling moments come from Kaffee working through the shoe leather of crafting a defense with his associates (Demi Moore and Kevin Pollak) and arguing their case in the courtroom, making the screenwriter’s detail-oriented dialogue sing.

Yet there’s also a stirring tension in the film’s — and Kaffee’s — view of order and discipline, as strict adherence to the chain of command ultimately enables cruelty and abuse. Cruise deftly portrays Kaffee’s gradual disillusionment with the institutions to which he’s dedicated his life.

Where to watch *A Few Good Men*: HBO Max

Vanilla Sky (2001)

Tom Cruise in ‘Vanilla Sky’.

Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection

Cameron Crowe’s audacious genre-bender — a remake of Alejandro Amenábar’s 1998 Spanish film *Abre Los Ojos *— fuses psychological thrills, romantic yearning, and existential sci-fi into an absurd fantasy melodrama.

*Vanilla Sky *allows Cruise to do pretty much everything he’s good at, as his character David Aames runs, jumps off a building, juggles multiple romantic interests (Penélope Cruz and Cameron Diaz), plays up his bro-chemistry with his best friend (Jason Lee), and questions his reality alongside an impossibly idealized father figure (Kurt Russell).

The film is also an introspective interrogation of Cruise’s stardom, confronting its main character with uncomfortable realities: His world is artificial, insulated, and fleeting, and his multimillion-dollar good looks could disappear in an instant. Does he actually possess any meaningful power or control? Does the life of a superstar mean anything at all? Is any of this real? It’s a deeply paranoid feature that asks more questions than it cares to answer, drawing fascinating parallels to Cruise’s singular position in American culture.

Where to watch *Vanilla Sky*: Paramount+

Minority Report (2002)

Tom Cruise in ‘Minority Report’.

David James/Twentieth Century Fox

In Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of Philip K. Dick’s futuristic sci-fi novella, Cruise portrays Detective John Anderton, a Washington D.C. investigator who heads the city’s Precrime division. His job is to arrest would-be criminals before they break the law using predictive technology — until he’s prophesied to commit a murder, and goes on the run to clear his name.

*Minority Report* is Spielberg’s most thrilling action movie outside the *Indiana Jones* series, boasting tightly constructed chase scenes and suspense set pieces that feel like Alfred Hitchcock crafted a cyberpunk dystopia. It’s also as thoughtful as it is entertaining, grappling with choice, fate, and knowledge while considering the flaws of the justice system. Cruise grounds the film with quiet pathos, giving Anderton a haunted, remorseful desperation as he reels from the death of his son and tries to survive an invasive surveillance state.

Where to watch *Minority Report*: Paramount+

Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

Tom Cruise in ‘Eyes Wide Shut’.

Warner Bros./Everett Collection

Stanley Kubrick’s final film stars Cruise as Bill Hartford, a young doctor in New York City who stumbles past the boundaries of polite society and into the mysterious underworld of the ruling class, rife with cultish orgies, exploitation, and, seemingly, murder. The movie concerns paranoia and infidelity, both real and imagined, as Bill struggles to reconcile potential flaws in his marriage to Alice (Nicole Kidman).

Hartford is one of Cruise’s more empty-headed characters. He’s *just* smart enough to understand that there are vast worlds — both in the upper crust’s shadowy underbelly and within his wife’s subconscious — that he’s fundamentally incapable of grasping, but not smart enough to realize he’ll never figure them out despite his persistent curiosity.

It’s one of the actor’s funniest performances, as his unearned confidence and fragile ego leave him befuddled and offended in both ridiculous and mundane situations.

Where to watch *Eyes Wide Shut*: HBO Max

Top Gun (1986) / Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

Tom Cruise in ‘Top Gun’; Tom Cruise in ‘Top Gun: Maverick’.

Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection; Paramount Pictures

Cruise’s highest-grossing project(s) remain some of his finest work. In his first turn as Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in 1986, the actor shows off the greatest assets of his early career: his inherent hotshot charisma. That swagger helps clarify his character’s natural skills (in this case, aerial combat in the Navy) and his barely-concealed grief.

In the 2022 follow-up, Cruise returns as a middle-aged, weary Maverick, burdened by responsibility, guilt, and the difficulty of passing down his wisdom to the next generation. The film’s somber romanticism grounds the immaculate airborne action with a rich emotional core, paving the way for overwhelming catharsis at the conclusion.

Much like the latter-day *Mission: Impossible *films, *Maverick* doubles as a meta meditation on Cruise’s place in Hollywood — the movies might have moved on from passionate superstar specialists like Cruise, but Cruise hasn’t yet given up on the movies, and he’s going to show everyone how it’s done before it’s too late.

Where to watch *Top Gun* and *Top Gun: Maverick*: Paramount+

The Mission: Impossible franchise (1996-2025)

Tom Cruise in ‘Mission: Impossible - Fallout’; Tom Cruise in ‘Mission: Impossible’.

Chiabella James/Paramount; Murray Close/Paramount

Cruise has played fearless IMF agent Ethan Hunt in eight movies spanning 30 years — longer than any one actor has played James Bond — and the sheer insanity of the films (*and* the actor’s stunts) only continues to ramp up.

While they all deliver breathless globe-trotting thrills, the franchise’s first four entries are emblematic of their directors’ distinct strengths: Brian De Palma’s paranoid Hitchcockian suspense in the kickstarter (1996); John Woo’s goofy maximalist action in *M:I 2 *(2000); J.J. Abrams’ character-driven grit in *M:I 3 *(2006); and Brad Bird’s bravura visual storytelling in *Ghost Protocol *(2011).

The latter four entries are all helmed by Cruise’s strongest contemporary creative partner, Christopher McQuarrie. They place further emphasis on the performer’s daredevil stunts, including but not limited to: clinging to, jumping out of, and balancing atop airplanes; dangling from helicopters and cliffs; high-octane car and motorcycle chases; and, of course, sprinting against a backdrop of world-famous landmarks.

It’s perhaps the most reliable, carefully crafted American franchise of the last 30 years. All the while, Cruise carries the spirit of Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, and Jackie Chan by putting his body on the line for our entertainment.

Where to watch the *Mission: Impossible* franchise: Paramount+

Jerry Maguire (1996)

Renée Zellweger and Tom Cruise in ‘Jerry Maguire’. Andrew Cooper

The actor’s strongest lead performance arrived in Cameron Crowe’s sports-dramedy *Jerry Maguire*, which is perfectly calibrated to Cruise’s unique strengths. As hot-shot agent Jerry, he gets to be charming, unhinged, overly sentimental, and puzzlingly distant, often simultaneously. His unusual combination of intense directness and inscrutability is one of the film’s key conflicts, as Jerry and Dorothy (Renée Zellweger) struggle to build a new life together.

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*Jerry Maguire* is both down-to-earth and larger-than-life thanks to Crowe’s unique sensibilities, allowing snappy dialogue and sweeping romance to coexist with complex, understated character drama. It’s a charming, meandering portrait of a flawed man trying to do his job — his arrogance upends his career, his fear of loneliness fosters questionable relationships, and those relationships unspool because of his inability to be vulnerable. After several somewhat disconnected scenes in which very little happens, you’re suddenly left with the impression that *everything* has happened.

Where to watch *Jerry Maguire*: Hulu

Magnolia (1999)

Tom Cruise in ‘Magnolia’.

New Line Cinema/Courtesy Everett Collection

Though many films put Cruise’s star power to good use in complex, cantankerous characters, none match the nuance and raw emotion of Paul Thomas Anderson’s sprawling, melodramatic *Magnolia*.

As “Seduce and Destroy” mastermind Frank T.J. Mackey, the actor embodies an evasive unknowability, a seemingly bottomless intensity, and a piercing glare, spending the majority of the film antagonizing an interviewer and riling up a crowd of insecure incels.

Mackey’s aggressive misogyny borders on sociopathy. It feels like a facade concealing something else, yet there are so many layers of posturing that it’s not completely clear if there’s *anything* below the surface. Then, in perhaps the finest scene of his career, Cruise unearths the overwhelming pain at Mackey’s core in a disarmingly honest breakdown at his father’s deathbed.

It’s Cruise’s most stunning performance and most challenging assignment to date. Here, he crafts a profoundly unlikable character — with limited screen time in a film with eight other similarly compelling leads — and manages to generate immense sympathy, both in spite of and *because* of his surface-level monstrosity.

Where to watch *Magnolia*: HBO Max

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