Mission: Impossible (1996)

Quick show of hands: who can explain the plot of Mission: Impossible without pausing it? Nobody. Brian De Palma stacks double crosses on top of fake deaths on top of rubber masks until the story folds in on itself like a lawn chair. And yet. The CIA vault scene, with Cruise dangling off a wire over a floor that can feel a dropped pin while one bead of sweat tries to ruin everything, is one of the best heist moments ever filmed. Ving Rhames shows up as Luther and instantly becomes the coolest guy in the franchise. The finale, a helicopter chasing a train through a tunnel, makes zero sense and I respect the commitment. It made $457.7 million worldwide and launched a series that got a whole lot better. A 6.8 because the set pieces still hold up and the plot never did. $894 says you try to explain it to someone afterward and give up at the second double cross.

What works: The silent CIA vault break-in, De Palma’s tilted, paranoid camera, and Ving Rhames being effortlessly cool as Luther.

What doesn’t: The plot is so overloaded with double crosses and masks that even the characters seem lost, and the tunnel finale ignores physics completely.

Who it’s for: Fans of the newer movies who want to see where Ethan Hunt started, and anyone who likes a heist done in total silence.