3 obscure Tom Cruise movies to revisit on streaming services

Thomas Cruise Mapother IV – the last real movie star, adventurer, runner, stunt man, sofa jumper, and gloriously bonkers.

Cruise is an actor who almost single-handedly brought cinema back from the dead after the pandemic, whose level of dedication and self belief borders on insanity. And we love him. Who doesn't?

His generation spanning career is laden with Hollywood hits. However, he's also starred in a fair few lesser known films, too.

Here are three of the best examples of his movies you might not have thought about, which are available to rent or buy on streaming services like Apple Prime Video and Apple TV right now.

Vanilla Sky

Vanilla Sky is a perfect example of a "forgotten gem". Featuring an all-star cast led by Cruise, a super hot director straight off the back of an Oscar win, and what, at the time, was the most sought after script in Hollywood, the film was huge, strange and beautiful.

However, for seemingly no good reason, it was just discarded and forgotten.

We've not had an anniversary rerelease, no documentary making of, and to our knowledge, no books written about it. Vanilla Sky just got ignored and tucked away in the back of streaming services' rental zones with little fanfare.

That's criminal really as it's a fantastic film. It's wonderfully shot, thoughtful, moving, and has a fantastic soundtrack. Indeed, ask Cruise fans and it's one of their favourites. It's definitely not as fun as a Mission Impossible, but is considerably more cerebral. You should absolutely check it out.

Magnolia (1999) Official Trailer #1 - Paul Thomas Anderson Movie - YouTube

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Magnolia

With themes of grief, estrangement and abandonment, this study into interpersonal relationships and the damage done by generations is a rarity on Cruise's CV, but no less important. Directed by the superb Paul Thomas Anderson, Magnolia is seen by many to be the moment when the Hollywood A-lister shook off his pretty boy image and became a bone fide actor.

That's largely thanks to his role being just one of many – amongst an excellent ensemble cast. However, Cruise's portrayal of a son waiting for the death of his father while still looking for approval continues to stand out even in such heady company.

There are even reports that most of his lines were ad-libbed on set, and that he used the role to address his own personal losses.

It results in a performance whereby he owns every scene he graces, and while not one of his largest roles, it is still remembered as possibly his most important.

Interview With the Vampire (1994) Trailer #1 | Movieclips Classic Trailers - YouTube

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Interview with the Vampire

If you were a teen in the mid 90s it was pretty much guaranteed that you would be forced to watch Interview with the Vampire at every party you went to. Alongside Pulp Fiction, it became the go-to movie for every moody teenager across the world.

Bringing Anne Rice’s classic vampire novel to life on the big screen, the film gave us Cruise as Lestat, an ageless immortal who passes the years by creeping around, committing thousands of bloody murders and creating more of his kind – including a very young Brad Pitt and an even younger Kirsten Dunst.

The Cruise-meister is on top form here, at his most campy and seemingly revelling in a role that did not require him to run around or dance in his socks. He gets to play within the role, explore other styles of performance and generally become a gothic icon.

The film itself is brutally long and self indulgent, but is also an absolute classic and well worth a watch especially if you are of a certain age. The book has recently been adapted for TV too, but this is the better version, we feel.