Tom Cruise loves to play the hero, but when he chooses to play an irredeemable villain, he hits it out of the park.

There’s something about Tom Cruise that just begs for him to be a bad guy. We’ve seen it when he plays good guys – the moments where he gets in their faces and gives an ultimatum that scares the hell out of everyone. His intensity is very real and very scary, whether it be in the Mission: Impossible series or any number of his other iconic roles.

One of the best examples of this side of Cruise was the 2004 Michael Mann film Collateral. The film proved the actor could take an extremely unlikable character and never put us on his side. It is a heart-pounding reminder that Tom Cruise can still sneak up on audiences and portray an entirely different character than what people are used to.

Tom Cruise Has Portrayed Dark Characters Before

Let’s just put one thing to rest right up front. Tom Cruise does not always play likable characters. Aside from Collateral, he played the severely self-involved brother to Dustin Hoffman’s Raymond in Rain Man, the very cold Dr. Hartford in Eyes Wide Shut, the seemingly unforgivable Frank Mackey in Magnolia, and even the foul-mouthed Les Grossman in Tropic Thunder. Clearly, he is perfectly capable of showing us his dark side.

There is also something very specific about Cruise that makes people a little uncomfortable when he gets mad. It’s as if he’s a little too good at it. Christian Bale summed it up in an interview with David Letterman. He was discussing how he used Cruise as an example of how he saw Patrick Bateman in American Psycho.

It’s a chilling thought. Many actors have said that he is a joy to work with, but others have noted that he can be quick to get angry. However, it is important to remember that even though we all have times when we let our emotions take over, Cruise’s final line of Collateral really hits home.

Collateral Features Tom Cruise as a Professional Hitman

Collateral tells the story of a cab driver named Max (Jamie Foxx) who is just trying to get through his night. Max is working extra hours to reach his goal of owning his own high-end limo service. On this particular night, two fares change his life. First, one of his fares is Annie Farrell (Jada Pinkett Smith), an attractive and flirtatious woman with whom Max feels an immediate connection. She’s a federal prosecutor, and Annie gives him her business card, hoping he will contact her.

The second fare is Vincent. Vincent (Tom Cruise) is a cool, seemingly normal guy who explains to Max that he has a variety of real estate deals to complete and that he would like Max to drive him around town. Max sees this as a good way to pay for his night and agrees. Unfortunately, Vincent is more than he seems and winds up being a professional hitman. When Max finds out, he attempts to talk his way out of the situation but Vincent forces him into continuing the job.

What we see of Vincent is his complete lack of empathy towards anyone with whom he comes into contact. He is steel-eyed and completely focused on his job. It doesn’t matter that Max doesn’t want to be involved or that he has essentially been made an accomplice; Vincent will finish his task by the end of the night.

When Max realizes that Vincent is planning on killing Annie, he finds new courage and strength and does everything he can to save her life. This means going up against a seemingly unstoppable force. But Max continuously finds ways to bait Vincent, throw him off, and eventually beat him at his own game.

Tom Cruise Was Perfect for Vincent in Collateral

The character of Vincent was originally supposed to go to Russell Crowe, who would have done an admirable job of portraying the hitman. However, Crowe needs to get into the character of a villain, while Cruise seems to have a single switch to get him back and forth. Crowe is also an extremely likable individual with a brawler’s physique and temperament. Meanwhile, Cruise is smaller, able to play off his charisma, and is a lethal knife to Crowe’s blunt cudgel.

It’s All About Drive

Tom Cruise also brings something else to the role. He brings the intensity of Robert Patrick’s T-1000 from Terminator 2. You believe that this man running hard and fast in an attempt to catch a speeding cab might actually catch it. He’s fearsomely driven, wearing a grey, almost silver suit reminiscent of a robot. The gun he uses is nothing special because he doesn’t need something impressive to get the job done. The gun is a tool, while Cruise’s Vincent is the actual weapon.

Maybe Tom Cruise took the role to remind people that he was capable of range. His overwhelming library of heroic roles may have led him to believe audiences were starting to put him in a box. He’s shown his ability to do comedy, drama, and action. But Collateral let him do all these things as the unstoppable bad guy.

His humor is meant to be disarming. The drama between him and Jamie Foxx is undeniable. The action is quick and brutal. Yet Cruise combines them all into one effortless character you would never want to meet or revisit in a sequel. Vincent exists for one night. It is as if Tom Cruise was powered up, told to destroy, and did the job to exact specifications. He was given Vincent, and he made him a monster. Collateral is streaming on Paramount+.