Debapriya Bhattacharya
Thomas Cruise Mapother IV, known professionally as Tom Cruise, is a Hollywood icon who started his career in the 1980s. He established himself in the industry by starring in critically and commercially successful films across genres such as ‘Top Gun,’ ‘Rain Man,’ ‘A Few Good Men,’ and ‘Jerry Maguire.’ However, it is the beginning of the ‘Mission: Impossible‘ film series in 1996 that made his popularity reach the stratosphere. Tom dominated the action genre, with movies such as ‘Minority Report,’ ‘The Last Samurai,’ ‘Collateral,’ and ‘Knight and Day.’
The actor is known for performing his own stunts, which have been a major attraction of his projects, particularly the ‘Mission: Impossible’ films. In addition to the various accolades he has earned over the course of his career, Tom has been awarded the highest civilian honor in the US Navy, the Distinguished Public Service Award, in recognition of his contribution to the military through his on-screen roles. If you wish to dive into his films on Netflix, the following list has been curated to help.
6. Born on the Fourth of July (1989)
Adapted from the eponymous autobiography of former Marine Corps sergeant and anti-war activist Ron Kovic, ‘Born on the Fourth of July’ stars Tom Cruise as Ron, a suburban New York teenager whose head is filled with romantic notions of war and patriotism. In the mid-1960s, he enlists in the Marines and is deployed to Vietnam. In his second tour during the War, Ron accidentally kills a fellow soldier during a retreat. He reports the incident to his superiors, who do nothing about it. A guilt-ridden Ron later gets grievously injured in a firefight and becomes permanently paralyzed. When he returns home, he is haunted by his experiences and is met with apathy from the Veterans Administration bureaucracy and political system. This pushes him to become a brutal critic of war and a champion of human rights. Watch the movie directed by Oliver Stone here.
5. Mission: Impossible (1996)
Directed by Brian De Palma, ‘Mission: Impossible’ is a reboot of the 1966 television series of the same name. Tom Cruise stars in the film as Ethan Hunt, a US government operative working for the Impossible Mission Force (IMF) under the leadership of Jim Phelps (Jon Voight). The duo, along with their team, goes on a secret assignment to Prague. However, things take a disastrous turn as the team members, including Jim, are killed, and Ethan becomes the sole survivor and primary suspect in the incident. Declared a fugitive, Ethan recruits disavowed IMF agents, skilled hacker Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames) and maverick pilot Franz Krieger (Jean Reno), to help him clear his name and uncover the real traitor within the organization. You can stream the movie that launched an extremely successful series here.
4. Mission: Impossible 2 (2000)
John Woo’s directorial ‘Mission: Impossible 2’ is a standalone sequel to the 1996 ‘Mission: Impossible’ and the second installment to the eponymous film series. Tom Cruise reprises his role as Ethan Hunt, who is tasked by the IMF to destroy a deadly genetically engineered virus known as Chimera. When IMF agent Sean Ambrose (Dougray Scott) betrays the organization by killing the creator of the virus and stealing the antidote, the organization sends Ethan to deal with the aftermath. The mission leads Ethan to Australia, where he brings along reinstated IMF agent and hacker Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames), as well as professional thief Nyah Hall (Thandie Newton), for help. View the spy action film here.
3. Mission: Impossible III (2006)
The third installment in the ‘Mission: Impossible’ film series, ‘Mission: Impossible III,’ marks the feature directorial debut of J. J. Abrams. The film opens with Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) living with his fiancée, Julia Meade (Michelle Monaghan), after retiring from field duty. However, he remains involved with the IMF by providing combat training to younger operatives. When one of his trainees gets killed by Owen Davian (Philip Seymour Hoffman), an international arms and information dealer who is as influential as he is ruthless, Ethan gets called in for a final mission, which he accepts despite the danger that it brings to his personal life. You can watch the movie on Netflix.
2. Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol (2011)
Marking the live-action directorial debut of Brad Bird, ‘Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol’ follows Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and the IMF as they try to track down a dangerous terrorist who has gained access to Russian nuclear launch codes. While Ethan is in Russia, the Kremlin blows up, and the agency is held responsible for the disaster. The US government initiates the Ghost Protocol, disavowing the IMF completely. To make matters worse, the IMF secretary gets killed in an ambush while explaining the situation to Ethan and planning their next move. His personal secretary, analyst William Brandt (Jeremy Renner), survives the attack and joins Ethan and his team as they try to save the world while being on the run. Stream the movie here.
1. Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation (2015)
Helmed by Christopher McQuarrie, ‘Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation’ is the fifth installment of the ‘Mission: Impossible’ franchise starring Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt. As the entire IMF gets disbanded, the world faces the new threat of the Syndicate. Described as the anti-IMF, it is a network of highly skilled operatives who seek to establish a new world order with an escalating series of terrorist attacks. As Ethan and his team try to stop them, they join forces with disavowed British agent Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson), whose true motives remain a mystery. You can view the movie here.
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