While the era where movie stars could single-handedly generate interest in an upcoming movie seems to be over,Tom Cruiseremains one of the most compelling actors in Hollywood’s history. Ever since his breakout performance inthe classic teen comedyRisky Business, Cruise has appeared in a wide variety of hits across many different genres.With very few misses in his filmography, Cruise’s name is itself an indicator of high quality.
Although he has earned a worldwide audience thanks to his appearances in theTop GunandMission: Impossiblefranchises, there’s much more to Cruise’s filmographythan just action movies. With three Academy Award nominations to his name,Cruise often chooses challenging projects from idiosyncratic filmmakers. While a majority of his work has received both critical acclaim and commercial success, some of Cruise’s best work has become undervalued. Here are the ten most underrated Tom Cruise movies, ranked.
10‘The Outsiders’ (1983)
Directed by Francis Ford Coppola
Although he has worked with many great directors,Cruise got a great start to his career when he appeared in the coming-of-age dramaThe Outsiders. Directed byFrancis Ford Coppola, the adaptation of the acclaimed novel byS.E. Hintonserved as a breakthrough film for actors likeRalph Macchio, Matt Dillon, Patrick Swayze,andEmilio Estevez. Cruise has a brief, albeit memorable role as the defiant greaser Steve Randle.
Cruise proved inThe Outsidersthat he could stand out within a packed ensemble, and managed to make the most of his limited screen time. While not always acclaimed as one of thebest films of Coppola’s career,The Outsidersis a refreshingly grim take on adolescence that goes to surprisingly dark places in its final act. It set a precedent that Cruise wasn’t intimidated by intense stories or challenging material.
The Outsiders
Set in a small town, a group of underprivileged teenagers known as the Greasers constantly clash with the affluent Socs. The stark contrast in their socioeconomic statuses leads to a tragic chain of events, testing the bonds of friendship and the notion of loyalty among the Greasers.
Watch on Paramount Plus
9‘All the Right Moves’ (1983)
Directed by Michael Chapman
Some films simply pop when the right actor is cast, and that was certainly the case withAll the Right Moves. Although the story is vastly different fromother films about high school football,All the Right Movessucceeds thanks to Cruise’s undeniable star power. Set in the highly competitive world of a small-town sports program,All the Right Movesstars Cruise as the Serbian American running back Stefen Djordjevic, who is desperate to attain a scholarship to maintain his star trajectory.
Although the story is not without clichés,Cruise’s sense of realism ensures thatAll the Right Movesdoes not become a melodrama. His strong romantic chemistry withLea Thompsonand commitment to the physicality of the football scenes allowedAll the Right Movesto transcend the trappings of its genre and become a coming-of-age classic.
Rent on Apple TV
8‘The Color of Money’ (1986)
Directed by Martin Scorsese
While the “term legacy” sequel can suggest some creative laziness,The Color of Moneyis a worthwhile sequelto the classic gambling filmThe Hustler. Set years after the pool shark “Fast Eddie” (Paul Newman) abandoned the game for good,The Color of Money introducesthe iconic character to the new, younger hustler Vincent Lauria. Cruise’s inherent confidence and snarky attitude were perfect for the role of Vincent, as he managed to make the character cocky without being obnoxious.
Although Newman finally won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance inThe Color of Money,Cruise managed to hold his own against an acting legend. The two stars are on equal footing throughout the film and help elevateThe Color of Moneyfrom “light entertainment” to a genuinely moving story about the ramifications of a life of hustling.
The Color of Money
Rent on Amazon
7‘Days of Thunder’ (1990)
Directed by Tony Scott
Although the racing movie concept is by no means an original one,Days of Thunderserved as a way for Cruise and director Tony Scott torepeat the success of their work onTop Gun.Cruise stars as the NASCAR driver Cole Trickle, whose relationship with his neurosurgeon Dr. Claire Lewicki (Nicole Kidman) is rested by a particularly competitive arm of the racing circuit.
While it didn’t become a popular culture phenomenon in the same way thatTop Gundid,the chance to see Cruise in a high-octane sports thriller is reason enough to watchDays of Thunder. The film is unabashedly silly, but Cruise’s self-seriousness helps ensure that the story never feels like complete camp. A thoroughly underrated example of pure pop entertainment,Days of Thunderfeels like a type of Hollywood crowd-pleaser that the industry simply isn’t interested in making anymore.
Days of Thunder
6‘The Firm’ (1993)
Directed by Sydney Pollack
Althoughthe Deep South legal thrillerseems to have gone out of fashion,The Firmis one of the most richly intelligent films that Cruise has ever starred in.Based on the acclaimed novel of the same name byJohn Grisham,The Firmstars Cruise as the hotshot Harvard Law graduate Mitch McDeere, whose skills gain the attention of the senior partner Avery Tolar (Gene Hackman). Despite his enthusiasm about his new job, Mitch begins to suspect that his employer may have insidious intentions; Cruise depicts this crisis of confidence perfectly.
While densely plotted and running over 150 minutes long,The Firmnever fails to lose its momentum thanks to Cruise’s electrifying performance. While it didn’t receive the acclaim that other legal thrillers of the era received,The Firmwas evidence that Cruise could work on prestigious material and fit within the dramatic parameters.
5‘Vanilla Sky’ (2001)
Directed by Cameron Crowe
Although Cruise and writer/directorCameron Crowemadea perfect romantic comedy withJerry Maguire, their follow-up collaboration,Vanilla Sky,is one of the most ambitious science fiction films ever made.With multiple plot twists and several alternate endings,Vanilla Skymaps the complex story of the publisher, David Eames (Cruise), whose life is uprooted by a car crash. Amidst his recovery, Davis is forced to question the nature of his reality as he’s questioned by the psychologist Dr. Curtis McCabe (Kurt Russell).
Although it’s a film that’s nearly incomprehensible on an initial viewing,Vanilla Skyis a film that gets better with each rewatch.Interlaced within the film’s jumbled narrative structure is insightful commentary on the nature of stardom, the challenges of body image, and the plight of morality. It’s much better than the toxic reputation it landed and features one of Cruise’s most earnest performances.
Vanilla Sky
Watch on Prime Video
4‘War of the Worlds’ (2005)
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Although the novel byH.G. Wellshas been fascinating science fiction fans since its release in the 19th century,the 2005 remake ofWar of the Worldsmodernizes the source material tocreate a disturbing parallel to 9/11.Cruise stars as the neglectful father Ray Ferrier, who is forced to transport his son Robbie (Justin Chatwin) and daughter Rachel (Dakota Fanning) to safety when a Martian invasion threatens to level humanity’s infrastructure.
Similar to Cruise’s previous collaboration with directorSteven Spielbergon the science fiction neo-noir thrillerMinority Report, War of the Worldsis by no means a traditional summer blockbuster. It’s a disturbing analysis of how easily society can collapse that features Cruise in a rarely vulnerable performance; it’s a film that continues to hold more relevance with each passing year and deserves to be considered on the level of Cruise’s other blockbusters.
War of The Worlds
In a gripping adaptation of H.G. Wells' classic novel, Earth faces an unprecedented threat when extraterrestrial tripods descend to wreak havoc, leading to humanity’s desperate fight for survival. The story follows a divorced father striving to protect his children amidst the chaos.
3‘Valkyrie’ (2008)
Directed by Bryan Singer
Although the last two decades of his career have been mostly spent making action movies,Valkyrieserved as proof that Cruise could still make compelling historical epics.Setduring the final days of World War II, the film follows the German Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg (Cruise) as he leads a resistance group that plans to assassinate Adolf Hitler. Despite a somewhat shaky accent, Cruise perfectly embodies the persona of a proud military leader who takes action to ensure the future of his nation.
Given how popular his films tend to be,Valkyrieindicated that Cruise was interested in exposing audiences to underrepresented stories from history. While it wasn’t necessarily a major critical or commercial success,Valkyrietook decidedly edgy material and turned it into the basis of a great thriller. The attention to detail in crafting the climactic rebellious endurance makesValkyrieworth watching by Cruise fans and history buffs alike.
Watch on Tubi
2‘Oblivion’ (2013)
Directed by Joseph Kosinski
Although they would reach an unprecedented level of successwith their collaboration onTop Gun: Maverick,Cruise and director Joseph Kosinksi first teamed up for the underrated science fiction mysteryOblivion. Based on the graphic novel of the same name,Oblivionfollows the technician Jack (Cruise) as he operates a remote base on the ruins of an uninhabited Earth. After discovering a human survivor of a space crash, Jack discovers that the basis of his mission may have been a deceit.
While not necessarily as action-packed as Cruise’s other sci-fi films,Oblivionpresents a compelling mystery and speaks to deep questions about the fate of humanity and overreliance on technology. While it was considered a financial disappointment considering the talent attached,Oblivionis a far more interesting film than many failed blockbusters due to Cruise’s dynamic performance and its ambiguous ending.
1‘American Made’ (2017)
Directed by Doug Liman
While it wasn’t the first time that he played a controversial historical figure,American Madejust may contain the most audacious performance of Cruise’s career.Based on an unbelievable true story,American Madestars Cruise as the commercial pilot Barry Seal, who became a liaison to both the CIA and Mexican drug cartel. Seal was truly a larger-than-life character, and Cruise does a great job at fleshing out his idiosyncrasies.
Although directorDoug Limanadds an undercurrent of dark humor to the film,Cruise conveys the traumatic effect that Seal’s actions had on his family’s livelihood.American Madeis unafraid to engage with the dark side of the “American dream” and explore the complexities of the drug war; despite its fall release, the film failed to earn Cruise the Academy Award nomination for Best Actor that he certainly deserved for his daring performance.
