Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

High stakes and aerial thrills define The Final Reckoning, starring Tom Cruise.

Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, the eighth movie in the action-packed Mission: Impossible franchise, hit theaters May 23. The film follows protagonist Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his team as they face a rogue artificial intelligence known as “the Entity” threatening the future of humanity. The film promises fans a gripping ride full of betrayals, high risks, and stunts that only Cruise could pull off. Caution: this review contains spoilers.

Directed by Christopher McQuarrie, The Final Reckoning contains scenes of intense violence, spying, and psychological tension, earning the movie a PG-13 rating. McQuarrie also directs recognizable movies such as Fallout (2018) and Dead Reckoning Part One (2023). He has helped shape the modern Mission: Impossible franchise into a gripping thrill ride while preserving the spy-thriller roots that launched in 1996.

The 2-hour and 50-minute movie follows Hunt and his Impossible Missions Force (IMF) team as they chase down two halves of a mysterious cruciform key, the only object that can access and shut down the Entity, an artificial intelligence that has embedded itself into international networks. Hunt is joined by his returning allies, such as Benji (Simon Pegg), Luther (Ving Rhames), and Grace (Hayley Atwell), a thief-turned-agent whose role becomes crucial in the fate of the world.

The narrative picks up soon after the cliffhanger of the seventh movie, Dead Reckoning Part One, diving straight into the aftermath of the Venice train disaster and the death of Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson). Gabriel (Esai Morales), a haunting figure from Ethan’s past and now the Entity’s primary agent, becomes the film’s central antagonist, adding a deeply personal layer to the mission. As Ethan battles Gabriel and the AI threat, his commitment to protecting innocent lives is tested more than ever.

Grace, caught between loyalty and survival, struggles with her new role in the IMF world. She transforms from a cunning thief to a talented IMF agent, using her skills for the greater good as her dynamic with Ethan evolves from tension to trust. Meanwhile, CIA Director Eugene Kittridge (Henry Czerny) and a range of international forces fight for control of the Entity, raising moral questions about who should wield such world-changing power. 

Composer Lorne Balfe’s powerful score escalates the pressure of a countdown and the threatening presence of worldwide destruction, which combines the iconic Mission: Impossible theme with unsettling electronic tones echoing the film’s fear of unchecked technology. From plane stunts to impressive close-combat scenes, the action never lets up, carried out with precise choreography and Cruise’s trademark dedication to doing the stunts himself.

The plot unfolds with jumps between far-reaching locations, going from Saudi Arabia to the Arctic Circle, heightening the movie’s urgency while keeping audiences guessing. As secrets unravel and alliances shift, the suspense remains sky-high until the very last moment.

From the wild chases to hard-hitting emotional stakes, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning is an adrenaline-fueled continuation of an iconic franchise. This action-thriller featuring an outstanding performance from Tom Cruise is a white-knuckle roller coaster ride and a must-watch. The Final Reckoning delivers, earning a four out of five feathers.