Tom Cruise has spent more than four decades as one of Hollywood’s most reliable and bankable stars. From 80s blockbusters to modern action spectacles, his career spans nearly 50 films and some of the most iconic characters in movie history.

But which Tom Cruise movies do audiences actually love the most?

To find out, we looked at a metric that reflects movie-going fans rather than critics – the Rotten Tomatoes Popcorn Score. Unlike the Tomatometer, many of these ratings now come from verified ticket buyers, helping ensure the score reflects genuine audience reactions.

So using those audience scores, here are the 10 Tom Cruise movies fans rate the highest, counting down to number one.

And don’t forget the latest episode of the podcast where GB and AJ go on The Tom Cruise Eras Tour looking back at the different stages of his career! You can listen in our handy player below or wherever you listen – Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and more.

10. Interview with the Vampire (1994) – Popcorn Score: 86%

Long before Ethan Hunt became his defining role, Cruise delivered one of his most unexpected performances as the charismatic vampire Lestat in Neil Jordan’s adaptation of Anne Rice’s gothic novel.

Starring alongside Brad Pitt, Kirsten Dunst and Antonio Banderas, the film blends horror, drama and dark romance. Cruise’s flamboyant performance surprised many audiences at the time and remains one of the most distinctive roles of his career.

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9. Mission: Impossible: Rogue Nation (2015) – Popcorn Score: 87%

By the time Rogue Nation arrived, the Mission: Impossible series had firmly established itself as one of the most reliable action franchises in cinema.

The film is best remembered for one of Cruise’s most famous stunts – hanging onto the side of a real Airbus A400M as it takes off. It also introduced Rebecca Ferguson’s Ilsa Faust, one of the franchise’s most beloved characters.

8. Mission: Impossible: The Final Reckoning (2025) – Popcorn Score: 88%

The latest chapter in the long-running franchise proves that audiences still have a huge appetite for Ethan Hunt’s globe-trotting adventures.

Nearly three decades after the first Mission: Impossible film, Cruise continues to push the limits of practical stunt work and large-scale action filmmaking.

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7. A Few Good Men (1992) – Popcorn Score: 89%

“You can’t handle the truth!”

Aaron Sorkin’s courtroom drama remains one of the most quoted films of the 1990s. While Jack Nicholson’s explosive courtroom moment often steals the spotlight, Cruise anchors the film as Lt Daniel Kaffee, a Navy lawyer uncovering the truth behind a military cover-up.

6. Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018) – Popcorn Score: 89%

Sometimes regarded as the peak of the Mission: Impossible franchise, Fallout features some of the most ambitious action sequences Cruise has ever attempted.

From high-altitude HALO jumps to helicopter chases through mountain valleys, the film showcases the kind of practical stunt work that has become Cruise’s signature.

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5. Magnolia (1999) – Popcorn Score: 89%

Paul Thomas Anderson’s sprawling drama features one of the most surprising performances of Cruise’s career.

As motivational speaker Frank T J. Mackey, Cruise plays a deeply flawed character hiding emotional trauma beneath a confident public persona. The role earned him an Academy Award nomination and remains one of the most critically respected performances of his career.

4. Rain Man (1988) – Popcorn Score: 90%

Winner of four Academy Awards including Best Picture, Rain Man remains one of Cruise’s most celebrated dramatic roles.

He plays Charlie Babbitt, a self-centred car dealer who reconnects with his autistic savant brother Raymond (Dustin Hoffman). The emotional road story helped cement Cruise’s reputation as more than just a blockbuster star.

3. Edge of Tomorrow (2014) – Popcorn Score: 90%

A clever twist on the alien invasion movie, Edge of Tomorrow has grown into a cult favourite among sci-fi fans.

Cruise plays a soldier trapped in a time loop during a war against extraterrestrial forces, forced to relive the same deadly battle again and again. Paired with Emily Blunt’s breakout action performance, it’s one of the most inventive action films of the last decade.

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2. Mission: Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One (2023) – Popcorn Score: 94%

After nearly thirty years of playing Ethan Hunt, Cruise continues to push the boundaries of action filmmaking.

Dead Reckoning Part One features one of the most talked-about stunts of his career – riding a motorcycle off a cliff before parachuting to safety. Unsurprisingly, audiences responded enthusiastically.

1. Top Gun: Maverick (2022) – Popcorn Score: 99%

More than three decades after the original Top Gun, Cruise returned to the role that helped make him a superstar – and delivered one of the most successful sequels in movie history.

Top Gun: Maverick became a global box office phenomenon and was widely credited with helping bring audiences back to cinemas after the pandemic. With breathtaking aerial photography and a story that honours the original while standing on its own, it’s also Tom Cruise’s highest-rated film among Rotten Tomatoes audiences.

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A Franchise Dominates the List

One thing stands out immediately from this ranking: half of the films in the top ten come from the Mission: Impossible series. Yawn.

That says a lot about how audiences see Tom Cruise today – not just as a movie star, but as the driving force behind one of the most popular action franchises ever made.

Tom Cruise’s career spans sci-fi, drama, action and comedy which means plenty of fan favourites didn’t make the list. Films like Jerry Maguire, The Last Samurai and Minority Report all have passionate audiences of their own. So we’ll put the question to you:

What is Tom Cruise’s best movie?

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