Risky Business, Real Love

In all its slightly action-packed forms

Remember back in 2005 when Tom Cruise jumped on Oprah’s couch and everyone thought he’d completely lost it? Somewhere around 2020, I think I lost it too—because here I am in 2025, fully ready to hop on a couch myself and declare that Tom Cruise is an American treasure. (I’d say national treasure, but Nick Cage already called dibs.)

For years, I assumed Tom kept churning out Mission: Impossible movies just to distract us from his acting. Like, come on. And then the pandemic hit. While everyone else was deep into Tiger King and watching every Marvel movie in chronological order (okay, fine—we did that too), my sweet husband was on a mission of his own: to convince me that Tom Cruise stanssss… well, he in fact was onto something.

And I know what you’re thinking—no, Rach… please, no. But hear me out.

Tom Cruise has starred in 45 movies. Forty-five! Did I know that? Absolutely not. Did it stop us from watching nearly all of them? Also no. Before long, “What should we watch tonight?” just became code for “Which Tom Cruise era are we in the mood for?”

Somehow, those nights turned into some of my favorite date nights. Just me and my husband on the couch—him watching me fall for War of the Worlds, and the two of us debating The Firm’s slow-burn suspense versus the wild, Faustian chaos of The Devil’s Advocate. Popcorn in hand, asking big questions about ambition, morality, and the choices we make. (The Devil’s Advocate is not a Tom Cruise movie, but IYKYK.)

This man is 62 years old…WHERE?!! HOWW?? WHAT?!!

Now we’ve made it through 38 out of the 45, and with Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning on deck and two Alamo Drafthouse tickets in hand, it feels like the right time to do the impossible: rank my love for Tommy Cruise.

It wasn’t easy, but unlike Ethan Hunt, we did choose to accept this mission (and yes G-helped with this one!!):

1. Top Gun: Maverick
We saw it twice in theaters—and we’re not ashamed. The build-up, the nostalgia, the soundtrack, the fact that a sequel somehow outdid the original? Still floored.
And yes, Maverick’s second chance at love hits just as hard as the action scenes.

2. Collateral
One of his most underrated performances. It’s moody, tense, and Tommy as a cold-blooded villain? Unsettling in the best way.
At its core, it’s also about a quiet connection between two strangers, one trying to survive, the other trying to feel something real.

3. A Few Good Men
The honor, the courtroom tension, and a baby-faced Cruise in uniform? Come on. You can’t handle the truth, cause if you could you would know he is FIONNE in this movie.
No sweeping romance here, but the emotional arc is all about earning respect, finding courage, and showing up with conviction.

4. American Made
Loosely based on a true story and completely off the rails. He’s flying planes, smuggling drugs, charming everyone, and somehow it still reads like a version of the American dream. Kind of.
It’s also a twisted kind of love story of a man in over his head, doing it all for his family… and maybe a little bit for the thrill.

5. The Firm
Peak ’90s legal drama with just the right amount of paranoia. A personal favorite.
And underneath the suspense, there’s a marriage trying to hold steady while everything else falls apart.

It’s silly. It’s also really sweet. Somewhere between Minority Report and Jerry Maguire, I fell a little more in love with my husband, and yes, with Tom Cruise.

So of course, Saturday’s date night is locked in. I’m taking my main man to see my main man—Tommy Cruise—in The Final Reckoning.

With love,
Rach

Seeing it too? Or just wanna drop your personal favs in the comments? I feel like we’ve got notes to swap.