Tom Cruise…the most powerful movie star of our time. But he’s so much more than just a movie star; he has 4 Oscar nominations, multiple producing credits, and HE DOES HIS OWN STUNTS!!! He is also one of the biggest advocates for seeing a movie in theaters, whether it’s supporting his Top Gun: Maverick co-star Glenn Powell for Twisters or most recently with Michael B. Jordan for Sinners. He is one of the best Hollywood has and here is a list of the top 10 Tom Cruise performances…

#1.  Magnolia (New Line Cinema)

In this 1999 dramatic/epic written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson; Cruise plays Frank T. J. Mackie (in an Oscar nominated performance for Best Supporting Actor), a motivational speaker who is misogynistic and has a strained relationship with his father Earl Partridge (played by Jason Robards). Cruise is only a small part of this ensemble driven film; his costars are Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, William H. Macy, Felicity Huffman, Alfred Molina, John C. Reilly, Melora Walters, Philip Baker Hall, Melinda Dillon, and Michael Murphy. This performance ranks the highest due to his intimate scene with Jason Robards and Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Directed By: Paul Thomas Anderson.

Where To Watch: Apple TV+, Fandango, Prime Video, and DVD.

#2. The Mission: Impossible franchise (Paramount Pictures)

Cruise has played Ethan Hunt in the Mission: Impossible franchise for nearly 30 years. His character has grown a lot throughout the years. When we first meet Ethan Hunt a mission goes awry and his team is killed, in the following years he stops deadly viruses, nuclear weapons, formidable foes, and gets tangled up with a lot of beautiful women. With his trusty sidekicks by his side (Ving Rhames and Simon Pegg) to fellow agents (Rebecca Ferguson, Kristen Scott Thomas, etc.), Ethan Hunt is a memorable action hero for the ages.

Directed By: Brian DePalma, Brad Bird, John Woo, J.J. Abrams, and Christopher McQuarrie.

Where To Watch: Paramount+, Apple TV+, Fandango, Prime Video, and DVD.

#3. Jerry Maguire (Tri Star Pictures)

In this sports film/romatic comedy, Cruise plays the titular character Jerry Maguire, a sports agent whose decision to write a memo causes him to lose his job and clients. Cruise takes the stereotypical agent character and turns it on its head; he not only brings his signature charm, he also makes Jerry human by showing himself being vulnerable, funny, and full of heart. His chemistry with Cuba Gooding Jr. (in an Oscar winning role), Renée Zellweger, and Jonathan Lipnicki make this film and performance worth a watch.

Directed By: Cameron Crowe.

Where To Watch: Netflix, Prime Video, Fandango, Apple TV+, and DVD.

#4. A Few Good Men (Columbia Pictures)

When you combine the talents of Rob Reiner, Aaron Sorkin, Tom Cruise, Demi Moore, Jack Nicholson, Noah Wyle, Cuba Gooding Jr., Kevin Bacon, J.T. Walsh, Kiefer Sutherland and Kevin Pollack you get the incredible 1992 courtroom drama A Few Good Men. Cruise plays Lieutenant Kaffee, a JAG lawyer assigned to defend two young naval officers accused of killing a fellow officer in a planned murder. Cruise delivers Sorkin’s dialogue with the same precision as Jeff Daniels, Martin Sheen, Allison Janney, Michael Douglas, Annette Bening, Stockard Channing, and many others. He embodies a young hot-shot lawyer who is so blinded by seeking justice for his defendants that he doesn’t see the damage that Jack Nicholson’s Colonel Jessup could bring to his case.

Directed By: Rob Reiner.

Where To Watch: Pluto TV, Fandango, Prime Video, and DVD.

#5. Top Gun: Maverick (Paramount Pictures)

The reason Top Gun: Maverick made the list and not Top Gun is due to the performances. Cruise is back as Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, a naval pilot who is tasked with training a group of younger pilots for a dangerous mission. To understand why this performance works, you must watch Top Gun. Cruise turns Maverick from a cocky young man into an older man who must face his past as he trains a pilot who is the son of his wingman Goose. Cruise as always is surrounded by a fantastic ensemble of actors including Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Glen Powell, Monica Barbaro, Manny Jacinto, Lewis Pullman, Danny Ramirez, Jon Hamm,Ed Harris, and the late-great Val Kilmer reprising his role as Iceman.

Directed By: Joseph Kosinski.

Where To Watch: Paramount+, Apple TV+, Fandango, YouTube, Prime Video, and DVD.

#6. Eyes Wide Shut (Warner Bros.)

In this dark drama/thriller and final film by Stanley Kubrick, Tom Cruise plays Dr. Bill Harford, a man who is sucked into New York City’s dark, mysterious, and erotic underworld. After attending a Christmas party of a patient, Harford and his wife Alice (played by Cruise’s then-wife Nicole Kidman) begin to experience infidelity, moral ambiguity, secrecy, and the brutal reality that is their marriage (some say this is the movie that caused Cruise and Kidman to divorce). Also starring Sydney Pollack, Todd Field, Marie Richardson, Alan Cumming, and a voice cameo by Cate Blanchett. This dark and seducing film is worth watching for the Cruise performance.

Directed By: Stanley Kubrick.

Where To Watch: Apple TV+, Fandango, and DVD.

#7. Born on the Fourth of July (Universal Pictures)

Inspired by the true story of Ron Kovic. Tom Cruise plays Kovic in this film. It’s the story of a young Vietnam war veteran who has seen and experienced so much pain and suffering that he turns into an anti-war activist. Cruise emodies Kovic with such a nuanced performance that is full of hurt, rage, passion, sadness, and vulnerability. It also stars Kyra Sedgwick, Willem Dafoe, Stephen Baldwin, and Tom Berenger in supporting roles. Cruise was nominated for an Oscar as well as Ron Kovic himself for co-authoring the screenplay with Oliver Stone.

Directed By: Oliver Stone.

Where To Watch: Prime Video, Fandango, YouTube, Apple TV+, and DVD.

#8. Risky Business (Warner Bros.)

In this 1983 film, Tom Cruise became a breakout star. He plays Joel Goodson, a teenage who decides to have fun while his parent’s are on vacation, which spirals into utter chaos (as most 80s comedies do). His performance as Joel is the perfect balance of teenage anxiety, charm, humor, and magnetic energy. This is only one of 3 or 4 comedies that Cruise has been apart of and it is still known as one of his best films. It also introduced us to singing Bob Seger in button-up shirts and tightie whities.

Directed By: Paul Brickman

Where To Watch: Prime Video, Apple TV+, Fandango, and DVD.

#9. Minority Report (DreamWorks Pictures)

Based on the novel by Philip K. Dick, and set in a futuristic Washington D.C., Cruise plays police officer John Anderton who works in the “pre crime” unit; a unit that stops crimes before they happen. Cruise brings a lot of darkness to this role as a police officer who is addicted to drugs, depressed over the loss of his son and the depature of his wife. Full of sci-fi thrills, police corruption, and a murder-mystery aspect, this film is an essential Cruise viewing. It also stars Samantha Morton, Colin Farrell, Max Von Sydow, Jessica Harper, and Peter Stormare.

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

Where To Watch: Paramoun+, Apple TV+, Prime Video, YouTube, Fandango, and DVD.

#10. Edge of Tomorrow (Warner Bros.)

In this sci-fi/action film, Cruise plays Major William Cage, a public relations officer who has never stepped foot into a combat zone. He is sent into combat and is killed by an extra-terrestrial species and is stuck in a time loop. He soon discovers that he is stuck with Rita Vrataski (Emily Blunt), a woman who is trying to find a way out of the loop. Cruise plays a totally different role than he usually plays; playing a coward rather than a strong-willed man.

Directed By: Doug Liman

Where To Watch: YouTube, Apple TV+, Prime Video, Fandango, and DVD.