The Mission: Impossible Films Ranked (2025 Update)

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The Mission: Impossible films, a continuation of the classic television series, started in 1996 with the first entry being directed by Brian De Palma. Centred around secret agent Ethan Hunt, played by Tom Cruise, the series showcases high-stakes espionage, thrilling action sequences, and intricate plot twists. Originally, each film had a distinct style with different director taking the reins of each chapter, following Hunt and his team as they take on seemingly impossible tasks to thwart global threats. The combination of innovative direction, stunning stunts, and a compelling story has made the franchise a staple of the action genre.

One of the defining characteristics of the Mission: Impossible series is its commitment to practical effects and real stunts. Tom Cruise’s relentless dedication to performing his own stunts has become legendary, with sequences such as scaling the Burj Khalifa in Ghost Protocol and hanging off an airplane in Rogue Nation. This level of authenticity not only heightens the tension and drama in the films but also sets a benchmark for action cinema that very few come close to matching. Director Christopher McQuarrie, who has taken control of the franchise alongside Cruise since coming on as a writer from the fourth entry and directing the fifth onwards, have embraced this ethos, pushing the boundaries of what can be achieved in a modern action film.

Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, the eighth in the series, which is being sold as Cruise’s final go round with the Hunt character has just been released. This time around the big stunts include deep sea diving and a sequence that features two bi-planes with Cruise on the inside and outside and jumping between and off the planes.

Whether the eighth film is the last remains to be seen but here are our rankings for the missions so far.

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