Tom Cruise’s Underrated Action Movie That’s Based on a True Story Is a Big Streaming Hit, 8 Years Later

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Tom Cruise is famous now for blockbuster franchises like Mission: Impossible and Top Gun, consistently releasing successful new movies in those series. However, he also makes standalone films between those projects. Over the years, he’s frequently collaborated with director Doug Liman, who directed the popular sci-fi movie Edge of Tomorrow. Fans have long hoped for a sequel to Edge of Tomorrow, but Cruise and Liman recently worked together on a different type of film – and it’s now gaining a lot of attention on streaming services.

The film American Made, starring Tom Cruise as pilot Barry Seal, tells the story of a man who begins smuggling goods for both the CIA and a powerful drug cartel. It’s currently the most popular movie on Paramount+ in the United States, according to streaming tracker FlixPatrol, surpassing titles like Fatman and Step Brothers.

American Made Is One of Tom Cruise’s Most Underrated Movies

Despite starring Tom Cruise, the 2017 film American Made wasn’t a huge success and flew under most people’s radars. While it earned $134.8 million worldwide on a $50 million budget, it didn’t receive any major award nominations. However, like Edge of Tomorrow, it’s a film worth watching. It doesn’t reinvent the crime genre – the story of someone rising and then falling is a familiar one – but it’s a fun take on that classic formula, and Cruise delivers a great performance. The film still has exciting moments, like the plane crash in the neighborhood, but it’s a different kind of movie than his action blockbusters like Mission: Impossible or Top Gun. It’s enjoyable to see Cruise in a film like this, and it feels like the kind of movie that would have been a hit in the 1990s.

Tom Cruise isn’t the only talented actor in the film; he’s joined by a fantastic supporting cast including Domhnall Gleeson, Jesse Plemons, Sarah Wright, and Caleb Landry Jones. While Cruise leads the way, everyone delivers a strong performance. Gleeson particularly shines, creating a playful and engaging connection with Cruise on screen. The actors playing the cartel members, like Pablo Escobar and Jorge Ochoa, are convincingly menacing, emphasizing how dangerous things become for the main character.

Inspired by films like those of Martin Scorsese (and released shortly after The Wolf of Wall Street, it’s likely no accident), American Made will appeal to fans of crime movies and Scorsese’s style. While it doesn’t focus on strict historical accuracy, the film delivers an engaging and exciting story about Barry Seal, mixing humor, drama, and action. Originally released in IMAX, American Made is well-suited for a great home viewing experience.

It’s been eight years since Tom Cruise and director Doug Liman last collaborated on American Made, which is unfortunate. They clearly work well together, and fans are hoping they’ll team up again, perhaps on the long-planned Edge of Tomorrow 2. Until then, audiences can still enjoy their previous films.

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2025-11-21 18:40