Tom Cruise is Hollywood’s last movie star. Unlike most of his contemporaries, Cruise still champions the theatrical release, headlining movies designed to be seen on the big screen. Even Cruise’s contemporaries, like Leonardo DiCaprio, Denzel Washington, and Tom Hanks, have embraced streaming. The same can’t be said for Cruise, who famously delayed Top Gun: Maverick due to the COVID pandemic to keep its theatrical release, a risk that paid off to the tune of nearly $1.5 billion worldwide.
Throughout the 21st century, Cruise’s talent has never wavered. He’s a four-time Academy Award nominee with a steadfast commitment to his craft that remains unmatched. Yet, Cruise has played within the action-hero sandbox for the last 15 years, rarely stepping outside to work in other genres. As great as Cruise has been playing Ethan Hunt in the Mission: Impossible films and Pete Mitchell in Top Gun: Maverick, his memorable turn as the villain in Michael Mann‘s Collateral, which celebrates its 20th anniversary on August 6, is his best performance of the 21st century.
Tom Cruise thrives as a villain
Set over one fateful Los Angeles night, Collateral stars Jamie Foxx as Max Durocher, a cab driver working to save enough money to start a limousine company. While on the job, Max picks up Vincent (Cruise), who says he’s in town to complete a real estate deal and will pay big money to drive him to multiple locations. After a dead body lands on the car at the first stop, Vincent’s true intentions are revealed. He is a hit man employed by a drug lord who must eliminate five targets in one night. Vincent holds Max hostage and forces him to drive him around to each killing. Max knows he’s dead at the end of the night, so he spends most of the night pondering how he’s going to escape this deadly situation.
As soon as Cruise steps into the frame, he’s completely different than what fans are used to seeing. Salt-and-pepper hair and a stone-cold look, devoid of any remorse, replace Cruise’s black hair and signature grin. Cruise typically saves the day as the hero, but Mann turns the Top Gun star into a villainous monster who strikes fear into anyone who looks him in the eyes. Vincent is a cold-blooded cyborg with no redeeming qualities, a far cry from Ethan Hunt or Peter “Maverick” Mitchell. It remains one of Cruise’s only villainous turns in his career.
Frankly, I was sold on Cruise as a villain when he delivered the “Yo homie, is that my briefcase?” line before mowing down two criminals in an alley. For as seriously as Cruise takes himself, his referring to someone as his “homie” remains the best form of unintentional comedy.
Foxx, Mann are perfect matches for Cruise’s talents
Most of Cruise’s movies in the 21st century have been built around his name and on his back. That doesn’t mean the supporting ensembles are weak. The casts support Cruise, as nothing feels like a two-hander. The films always remember that Cruise is Batman and the cast is Robin. That couldn’t be further from the truth in Collateral. Max, not Vincent, is the hero of the film.
Vincent antagonizes Max to stand up for himself and take matters into his own hands, which is how he escapes the hit man’s wrath. Vincent needs Max, and oddly enough, Max needs Vincent. It’s a great example of the perfect Cruise co-star — a confident actor who rises to the occasion. Foxx deserved his Oscar nomination for Collateral, though Cruise being left out of the field is criminal.
Like Foxx, Mann brings out the best aspects of Cruise’s core beliefs — hard work, dedication, and obsession with a craft. Most Cruise films put the actor on the hero’s journey, while Mann doesn’t allow that to happen. Many of Mann’s characters are meticulous and committed. Neil McCauley in Heat and Frank in Thief are previous Mann protagonists who are ultra-masculine and live by a code they are willing to die for. Vincent is the same way, though his code has no redeeming qualities. Vincent believes in his work and never abandons his beliefs. Mann and Cruise are conscientious perfectionists, making for the ultimate pairing of sensational talents.
It’s one of Tom Cruise’s last roles in an auteur-driven project
For nearly the first three decades of Cruise’s career, the actor frequently sought auteur-driven projects with some of Hollywood’s greatest filmmakers. Cruise worked with Oliver Stone, Sydney Pollack, Brian De Palma, Paul Thomas Anderson, Steven Spielberg, and Stanley Kubrick.
In the late 2000s, Cruise shifted his career toward studio tentpoles and IP-driven vehicles, including Jack Reacher, The Mummy, Top Gun: Maverick, and multiple Mission: Impossible movies. That’s not a shot at some of these films’ quality. Mission: Impossible – Fallout is arguably Cruise’s best action film ever, while Top Gun: Maverick provided one of 2022’s best cinematic experiences.
Cruise can still make these blockbusters with death-defying stunts. However, it would be nice for him to mix in a Collateral in between a halo jump and motorcycle cliff sequence. Cruise actually wants to do these types of projects in the future, as evidenced by his decision to star in the next film from Oscar winner Alejandro Iñárritu. When challenged as an actor, like in Collateral, Cruise proves why he’s one of the best in the business.
Collateral is streaming for free on Pluto TV.
