What I Learned From Watching 10 Tom Cruise Movies in a Row
How a movie star ushered us into a new era of masculinity — one that’s still problematic as hell
“Kittridge, you’ve never seen me very upset.”
I almost clapped when I heard this line. I’m not a big Tom Cruise fan, but I remember finding the first Mission: Impossible film immensely enjoyable back in 1996. Didn’t everyone? It was a (somewhat) fresh take on a familiar genre, had a genuinely engaging script, and some pretty amazing special effects for its time.
I hadn’t seen the movie in over 15 years. I’d just signed up for Paramount+ so I can finally watch 1883, but when that Mission: Impossible movie popped up on the home screen, a wave of nostalgia overtook me. I decided to postpone my visit to the 19th century and spend some time in the 1990s, instead.
Once the movie was over, another Mission: Impossible began rolling. I’d already seen most of them and had enjoyed some of them, so I just went with it. I had plenty of housework to do, and it was nice to have something on in the background.
Once I’d gone through the whole series, Paramount+ decided I must be jonesing for Cruise movies, so it kept handing them over: Minority Report, Jack Reacher, War of the Worlds, Top Gun…
