During an interview, Tom Cruise revealed that he did not want to be a part of his 1983 bomb, Losin’ It, and only joined because of his agent.

Tom Cruise has had quite a journey in Hollywood. Starting in smaller productions and making his way into bigger ones, there is no denying that he has explored all that the film industry has to offer. While this has landed him some very successful projects now, it hasn’t always been the best thing for the actor.

Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One | Credit: Paramount Pictures

For example, before he became the icon that he is today, Cruise starred in quite an unconventional project. On top of the film being completely outside his comfort zone, it also did not do very well with the critics.

With this, it is no wonder that the actor does not want anyone to watch it now that he has so many better works to showcase his talent.

The Biggest Anathema in Tom Cruise’s Career

During an interview with The Uncool, Tom Cruise talked about how working in his war-drama film, Taps, he found a completely new world within Hollywood that he could explore. However, Cruise clarified that this wasn’t accurately represented in the film he did immediately after starring in the 1981 project.

A still from Losin’ It | Credit: Embassy Pictures

In 1983, Cruise starred in quite a peculiar film. Titled Losin’ It, the project was in the category of a teenage s*x film, following the story of a group of teenagers who have a steamy adventure with a frustrated housewife, who is looking for a divorce. It is safe to say that the film is very different from most of the works that the actor has been a part of and this wasn’t a good thing.

In the interview, he mentioned that the film was suggested to him by his agent at the time. However, the project was a lot worse when he first joined. Although the actor was hesitant about joining the film, he was told by his agent that it would be a good decision.

I did a film they titled Losin’ It. When I first read it, it was worse than the released film. I had this small agent at the time who said, “Do it, do it.” I worked hard, but it was a terrible time in my life.

A still from Losin’ It | Credit: Embassy Pictures

The film ended up being quite a big regret for the actor, revealing that time to be terrible for him, even though he gave the project his all. He even ended up getting a different agent after this incident.

The Critical Reception of Losin’ It

Tom Cruise’s Losin’ It lived up to its name and lost quite a lot of money. According to The Numbers, the project had a budget of $7 million and ended up earning only $1.2 million worldwide. It is safe to say that the performance of the film was poor, however, its reviews did not help it in the slightest.

Tom Cruise in a still from Losin’ It | Credit: Embassy Pictures

According to Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an 18% critics rating, and IMDb has given it a 4.9 out of 10. Considering this, one can imagine that the film did not have much going for it. Several reviews on both sites label the film as being uninspired, predictable, and unfunny.

Well-known critics, Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel (via YouTube) put it best, calling the project’s themes sick and teaching the wrong sort of things to its younger audience about how they should be finding love. He even went as far as to call it the worst film of the year. It is not surprising that the actor does not look back at the project with fond memories.

Losin’ It is available for streaming on Prime Video.