15 Best Tom Cruise Movies Ranked

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Tom Cruise isn't just the greatest movie star working today ... he has been an icon for nearly 40 years. A top box office draw, his taste in projects has kept him on the A-list for the long haul. Despite his popularity, Cruise only seems to pick projects that he's interested in. He has worked with many of the greatest filmmakers of all time and has starred in a wide variety of dramas, comedies, science fiction, and action films. 

Cruise also continues to perform his own dangerous stunts. Although many actors rely on computer-generated special effects or their stunt doubles, Cruise is committed to realism. His dedication makes these action sequences ever more exciting to watch. The "Top Gun: Maverick" star has such an extensive filmography that narrowing down his best roles was a challenge, but we summoned Cruise-like courage and did it. Here are the 15 best Tom Cruise movies, ranked.

Cameron Crowe's science-fiction thriller "Vanilla Sky" is a widely misunderstood film. The film mixes mystery, suspense, romance, and philosophy into its highly complex story, which makes it worth revisiting as there are many different ways to interpret the final moments. Crowe has discussed the ending's implications in some of the behind-the-scenes material, but many of the film's secrets remain a mystery. Tom Cruise gives a brilliant performance, which helps to hook the viewer into the story by becoming the audience's avatar. He often seems just as confused as we are. 

"Vanilla Sky" is told mostly in flashbacks. The film follows the publishing tycoon David Aames (Cruise), who has inherited his father's corporation. David is a playboy who falls in love with the mysterious woman Sofia Serrano (Penélope Cruz). David's girlfriend Julie Gianni (Cameron Diaz) discovers his infidelity, and while out for a drive with David she crashes the car on purpose. David explains how he was caught between these two relationships with the futuristic psychologist Dr. Curtis McCabe (Kurt Russell).

There are few projects in Tom Cruise's filmography that are as iconic as the 1986 film "Top Gun." The military action-thriller was one of the first big hits of Cruise's career, proving his range as a movie star. He had to be a charming romantic lead, a compelling action hero, and an inspirational dramatic character all at once. He pulled it all off with his performance as Lieutenant Pete Mitchell, also known as "Maverick."

"Top Gun" follows a group of young military officers who train at the US Navy's Fighter Weapons School in San Diego, California. Maverick and his best friend Nick "Goose" Bradshaw (Anthony Edwards) have a knack for getting into trouble, competing with their classmates to outdo each other. Although the film is really quite funny at times, Cruise still makes the emotional scenes effective. Maverick's horrified reaction to Goose's death is absolutely heartbreaking to watch.

"Risky Business" was the film that truly launched Tom Cruise's career. The 1983 coming-of-age dark comedy was Cruise's first major lead role and proved that he could carry a film with his personality alone. The story deals with some very serious themes, exploring the nature of greed and how disconnected the upper class is from reality.

The film follows top student Joel Goodsen (Cruise), who is poised to gain acceptance to Princeton University. The prestigious school is his father's (Nicholas Pryor) alma mater. Despite his academic success, Joel is looking forward to temporarily escaping his parents while they are away on vacation. He gets into some trouble when his friend Miles Dalby (Curtis Armstrong) hires the prostitute Lana (Rebecca De Mornay) on his behalf, and Joel falls in love with her. Joel is forced to admit his feelings to Lana, interview with a Princeton recruiter, and fix his father's broken car over the course of a hectic weekend.

It was very ambitious to make a sequel to the 1961 film "The Hustler." Robert Rossen's gambling thriller was already a beloved classic and featured one of Paul Newman's greatest performances ever. Thankfully, director Martin Scorsese created a sequel that was just as formidable as the original: "The Color of Money" honors the first film's legacy, but you don't need to see "The Hustler" to enjoy it. Newman returned to his iconic role as the troubled pool player Eddie Falson, who goes by the nickname "Fast Eddie." 

After the events of "The Hustler," Eddie has retired from gambling. He knows the consequences of betting big and losing it all. However, he takes an interest in the young pool shark Vincent Lauria (Tom Cruise). He decides to take on Vincent as his protege. While Vincent is incredibly skilled at playing pool, Eddie offers him surprising insights about hustling. Newman finally won the Academy Award for best actor for reprising his role after being nominated in the same category six times previously, but Cruise holds his own. In many ways, it felt like one great movie star passing the torch to the next generation. Their chemistry makes the film very entertaining, but there is depth to both characters as Vincent learns that he's becoming overconfident, determined not to repeat the same mistakes that Eddie made.

Steven Spielberg's "Minority Report" defies any genre label, containing elements of science fiction, action, drama, mystery, thriller, and social satire. Tom Cruise gives a very complex performance as a compelling action hero struggling to cope with a personal tragedy. "Minority Report" takes place in 2054 when crime has almost vanished entirely thanks to a special police force called "Precrime" that is able to predict murders before they occur by utilizing three psychics called "Precogs." When Precrime commanding officer Chief John Anderton (Cruise) is surprisingly accused of committing a future murder, he refuses to believe his guilt. He eludes the Precrime forces and seeks to clear his name, with the ruthless Department of Justice agent Danny Witwir (Colin Farrell) attempting to track him down.

Anderton has been in mourning since the disappearance of his young son, John (Tyler Patrick Jones). He learns that he's been accused of killing Leo Crow (Mike Binder), who supposedly killed his son. Anderton frees the Precog psychic Agatha (Samantha Morton) to help him investigate how Crow, Burgess, and the other Precrime agents are involved in a government conspiracy. Cruise shows the heartbreak that Anderton had endured, and is determined to uncover the truth behind the tragedy.

Dustin Hoffman may have won the Academy Award for best actor for the 1988 drama "Rain Man," but Tom Cruise's performance was just as worthy. The film wouldn't be nearly as impactful without their great chemistry. "Rain Man" follows the workaholic salesman Charlie Babbitt (Cruise), who has a difficult relationship with his father, Sanford. After Sanford unexpectedly dies, Charlie is tasked with managing his estate, whereupon he learns that he has a brother named Raymond (Hoffman), who is living in a medical institution.

Raymond has autism and savant syndrome and rarely travels outside of the institution. While Raymond has an incredible memory, he becomes very agitated when his routines are disrupted. Both brothers are shocked to learn of each other's existence, and Charlie decides to temporarily break Raymond out of the medical facility and brings him to his hotel. Charlie learns that the only way he can access his father's fortune is to become Raymond's custodial guardian. Although Charlie wants to take his brother with him back to Los Angeles, Raymond refuses to fly. Charlie reluctantly agrees to drive all the way from Cincinnati to California, and the two begin to bond over the course of their trip. Charlie decides to take advantage of his brother's superb recall and takes him to Las Vegas where Raymond learns to count cards while playing blackjack at a casino. Initially, Charlie is only watching over Raymond to take advantage of him, but his intentions become more sincere by the end.

Tom Cruise has played many iconic characters, but he is perhaps best known for his role as Ethan Hunt in the "Mission: Impossible" franchise. The "Mission: Impossible" saga is that rare blockbuster series that has improved over time. It seemed like there was no limit to the dangerous stunts that Cruise would perform, but 2018's "Mission: Impossible – Fallout" exceeded the high expectations. Writer/director Christopher McQuarrie, who had previously helmed "Rogue Nation," explored Ethan's commitment to his team as well as his tormented visions of the "Rogue Nation" antagonist Solomon Lane (Sean Harris).

Ethan is unable to prevent a group of terrorists called "The Apostles" from escaping with a plutonium device. The IMF discovers that the terrorist sect is under the command of an enigmatic extremist, known only as "John Lark." Ethan and the CIA agent August Walker (Henry Cavill) are assigned to infiltrate a nightclub party in order to investigate while Ethan is unaware that Walker is actually Lark.