Cannes Shines Spotlight on Mission Impossible’s Epic Farewell
The energy inside the Palais des Festivals on 14 May 2025 was off the charts. When Mission Impossible: Final Reckoning finally wrapped up its world premiere, no one sat down. For a solid five minutes, the audience at Cannes rose to its feet, shattering the usual cool, collected air of the festival with thunderous applause. Tom Cruise, the face of the franchise since 1996, was clearly feeling the moment. He shared hugs and smiles with director Christopher McQuarrie and castmates Haley Atwell, Simon Pegg, Hannah Waddingham, Angela Bassett, Esai Morales, Pom Klementieff, and Greg Tarzan Davis. Then, a visibly emotional Cruise took the mic—his voice cracking as he thanked not just the festival crowd, but generations of fans who’ve followed Ethan Hunt’s exploits for almost three decades.
Cruise was grateful, but he had reason to be. Mission Impossible’s latest installment isn't just another sequel—this is what’s being billed as the series’ grand finale. After eight films and nearly thirty years of daredevil action, heart-stopping chases, and hair-raising stunts, the story about IMF agent Ethan Hunt is finally reaching its conclusion.
A Rogue AI, Familiar Faces, and Next-Level Action
This time, Hunt’s mission is nothing short of world-shaking. The villain isn’t a mob boss or a corrupt agent, but rather ‘Entertainment,’ a powerful AI system threatening to spiral completely out of human control. With the clock ticking, the stakes feel even higher than usual. Alongside Cruise’s steely Ethan Hunt, a host of returning characters get their moment. Ving Rhames (as the always-cool Luther Stickell), Simon Pegg (Benji Dunn, the franchise’s nerdy heart), Vanessa Kirby, Henry Czerny, and Shea Whigham deliver fan-favorite performances. Pom Klementieff, who once played a deadly adversary, now allies herself with Hunt as the mysterious 'Paris.' Angela Bassett and Esai Morales keep the tension high, adding layers of intrigue and emotional heft.
The audience didn’t just react to nostalgia. Clarisse Loughrey from The Independent didn’t mince words, calling the film “ludicrously implausible but completely exhilarating.” Action fans seem to agree—the stunts are as wild as ever, with Cruise risking life and limb in jaw-dropping scenes fans have come to expect (and secretly love him for). Even after all these years, there’s a freshness to the pacing and set pieces that reminds you why Mission Impossible has stayed relevant when so many other franchises fizzled out.
The enthusiasm at Cannes is about more than just movie magic, though. Cruise’s teary-eyed speech was a genuine moment in a world that’s usually pretty jaded. He called the franchise “the adventure of a lifetime,” and you could tell he meant every word. The film hits cinemas in the UK on 21 May, followed by a US debut on 23 May. Longtime fans and curious newcomers alike are about to find out if the end of Ethan Hunt’s saga is as explosive as its beginning.
