Directed by Christopher McQuarrie.
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning had its world premiere in Tokyo on May 5, 2025.
Distributed by Paramount Pictures.
Movie Review
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning delivers a spectacular and emotionally-charged finale to Ethan Hunt’s saga.
Directed by Christopher McQuarrie, this installment raises the stakes as Hunt (Tom Cruise) battles an all-powerful AI threatening global security.
With breathtaking action sequences — including a daring biplane chase and a nerve-wracking underwater mission — the film blends explosive set-pieces with rich character arcs.
Tom Cruise gives a deeply committed performance, while Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg, and Ving Rhames bring depth and charisma to their roles.
The movie doesn’t just rely on stunts; it explores themes of free will, loyalty, and the cost of sacrifice in a world increasingly ruled by technology.
Visually stunning, emotionally grounded, and intellectually engaging, The Final Reckoning cements its place as a thrilling and thought-provoking conclusion to one of cinema’s most iconic franchises.
Rating:
• IMDb: 7.7/10
• Rotten Tomatoes: 80%
• Google Audience Score: 94% liked this film.
The Final Reckoning Actors
Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt

DOB: July 3, 1962
Bio: Born Thomas Cruise Mapother IV in Syracuse, New York, Cruise briefly attended a Franciscan seminary before launching his acting career.
He’s a three-time Golden Globe winner and four-time Academy Award nominee for roles in Born on the Fourth of July, Jerry Maguire, and Magnolia.
An avid aviator, he’s held a private pilot’s license since 1994.
Role: Ethan Hunt, the IMF’s tenacious field commander, must infiltrate a covert tech syndicate to stop a self-aware AI (“Nuru”) from hijacking global defense systems—and race against time to rescue his captured team.
What to Expect: Signature jaw-dropping stunts (including a near-vertical skyscraper climb), emotional stakes as Hunt grapples with trust and sacrifice, and the film’s most ambitious action set-piece yet.
Favorite Things: Flying single-engine planes.
Notable Works: Top Gun series, Jerry Maguire, Rain Man, Mission: Impossible franchise.
Hayley Atwell as Grace

DOB: April 5, 1982
Bio: London-born Atwell trained at Guildhall and rose to fame as Marvel’s Agent Carter.
A UNICEF UK ambassador, she co-founded Equity Action to promote pay transparency.
Role: Grace, a highly skilled undercover operative initially working for the AI’s architects, who ultimately must choose between following orders and saving Hunt—revealing a personal connection to the Nuru project.
What to Expect: A thrilling arc from double agent to key ally, blending combat prowess, moral conflict, and a tense reunion with Hunt.
Favorite Things: Game nights & board/party games, Escape rooms, Video games.
Notable Works: Agent Carter, Brideshead Revisited, Christopher Robin.
Ving Rhames as Luther Stickell

DOB: May 12, 1959
Bio: Born in Harlem, New York, and raised in Miami, Florida, Ving Rhames earned a BFA from the University of Miami’s School of Communication.
He is an Emmy winner and has established himself as a powerful presence in film and television, known especially for his work in action and drama.
Role: Luther Stickell, the IMF’s veteran hacker-turned-field agent, whose deep-cover cyber-infiltration skills are critical to disabling the rogue AI’s global network—and protecting the team from digital traps.
What to Expect: Tactical brilliance, dry humor under fire, and a heartfelt mentor moment as Luther guides Benji through a risky digital breach.
Favorite Things: Producing indie films, mentoring coding workshops, and classic car restoration.
Notable Works: Pulp Fiction, Mission: Impossible franchise, Con Air.
Simon Pegg as Benji Dunn

DOB: February 14, 1970
Bio: Born in Brockworth, Gloucestershire, Pegg studied film at the University of Bristol and began his career performing comedy shorts and sketches with longtime collaborator Edgar Wright.
He is also a bestselling author, known for his memoir Nerd Do Well.
A mental-health advocate, Pegg combines humor with heartfelt performances.
Role: Benji Dunn, IMF tech specialist thrust into the field when Luther is compromised—juggling on-the-fly gadgetry, emotional pressure, and a desperate bid to save Grace and Hunt.
What to Expect: Comic relief coupled with genuine heroics, including improvised gadget-fails and a touching scene where Benji confronts his own insecurities.
Favorite Things: Retro game tournaments, writing novels, and improv workshops.
Notable Works: Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Star Trek films.
Esai Morales as Gabriel

DOB: October 1, 1962
Bio: New York-born actor who attended the High School of Performing Arts.
Known for his powerful performances in film and television, Morales is also a passionate advocate for Latino representation in the arts, co-founding the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts.
Role: Gabriel, former IMF field agent turned AI project head, driven by revenge after losing his family to the very technology he helped create—setting him on a collision course with Hunt.
What to Expect: A chilling, emotionally charged antagonist whose intimate knowledge of IMF tactics makes him nearly unbeatable—and whose final confrontation tests Hunt’s limits.
Favorite Things: Composing guitar instrumentals, directing theater, and activism.
Notable Works: La Bamba, Titans, Caprica.
Pom Klementieff as Paris
DOB: May 3, 1986
Bio: Born in Quebec City and raised just outside Paris, Pom Klementieff trained at the prestigious Cours Florent drama school before launching her international career.
She made her American feature debut in Spike Lee’s Oldboy (2013) and has since become known for her striking physicality and depth.
Role: Paris, an elite assassin genetically enhanced by the AI’s creators, whose shifting motives and lethal skillset challenge Hunt at every turn—culminating in a rooftop duel.
What to Expect: High-octane martial-arts sequences, a morally ambiguous partnership with Hunt, and a surprising confession that humanizes her role.
Favorite Things: Boxing, stunt training, and indie film direction.
Notable Works: Guardians of the Galaxy series, Oldboy.
Henry Czerny as Eugene Kittridge
DOB: February 8, 1959
Bio: Born in Toronto, Ontario, Czerny attended York University and then received formal acting training at the National Theatre School of Canada in Montreal.
He launched his stage career performing across Canada—including seasons at the Stratford Festival—before moving into film and television
Role: Eugene Kittridge, the ex-IMF director whose clandestine knowledge of the AI program forces Hunt to reckon with old betrayals—and whose final act of redemption shifts the mission’s outcome.
What to Expect: Subtle power plays, a tense reunion with Hunt, and a pivotal decision that redefines friend and foe.
Favorite Things: Mentoring actors, crafting noir scripts, and heirloom gardening.
Notable Works: Clear and Present Danger, Revenge, Mission: Impossible (1996).
Angela Bassett as Erika Sloane
DOB: August 16, 1958
Bio: Born in Harlem, New York City, Angela Bassett earned her MFA from the Yale School of Drama.
Renowned for her commanding performances, she received an Academy Award nomination for her portrayal of Tina Turner in What’s Love Got to Do With It.
Bassett is deeply committed to community outreach and mentoring emerging talent.
Role: CIA Director Erika Sloane, orchestrating political cover-ups while covertly authorizing the IMF’s unauthorized mission—ultimately facing the moral cost of collateral damage.
What to Expect: Commanding presence, ethical confrontations with Hunt, and a final scene where Sloane must choose between national security and personal conscience.
Favorite Things: Jazz-club gatherings, community mentoring, and memoir writing.
Notable Works: Black Panther, American Horror Story, Strange Days.
Holt McCallany as Secretary of Defense Bernstein
DOB: September 3, 1963
Bio: New York City-born actor Holt McCallany trained at the Actors Studio and is known for his intense, compelling performances.
He gained recognition for his role as Bill Tench in Mindhunter and appeared in notable films like Fight Club and Lights Out.
An avid boxing enthusiast, McCallany authored a memoir titled Rust & Dust, chronicling his personal journey with the sport.
He is also an advocate for veterans’ causes.
Role: SecDef Bernstein, coordinating military assets for the IMF and clashing with Sloane over the mission’s legality—ultimately providing critical naval support in the climax.
What to Expect: A performance balancing bureaucratic pressure and reluctant heroism, culminating in a tense war-room sequence.
Favorite Things: Boxing, military-history writing, and carpentry.
Notable Works: Mindhunter, Fight Club, Lights Out.
Janet McTeer as Walters
DOB: August 5, 1961
Bio: UK-born McTeer trained at RADA, winning a Tony and earning Oscar nods for Albert Nobbs.
She directs youth Shakespeare programs.
Role: Walters, senior intelligence chief whose covert directives push Hunt into morally gray operations—and who delivers the mission-critical intel at the last moment.
What to Expect: A commanding, nuanced turn, blending ruthlessness with surprising empathy in a pivotal debrief scene.
Favorite Things: Shakespeare festivals, mentoring female actors, and painting.
Notable Works: Ozark, Tumbleweeds, Wuthering Heights.
Nick Offerman as General Sidney
DOB: June 26, 1970
Bio: Chicago-born Offerman trained at DePaul University and charmed audiences as Ron Swanson.
He’s a steampunk woodworker and author.
Role: Gen. Sidney, overseeing joint military-IMF operations and delivering crucial airstrike authorization in the film’s climactic battle.
What to Expect: Deadpan humor under fire, a stirring pep talk to Hunt, and a surprise last-second air-support cameo.
Favorite Things: Woodworking, comedy, and essay writing.
Notable Works: Parks and Recreation, Devs, The Founder.
Hannah Waddingham as Rear Admiral Neely
DOB: July 28, 1974
Bio: London-born Waddingham trained at the Royal Academy of Music and won Emmys for Ted Lasso.
She leads West End Women in Music.
Role: Rear Adm. Neely, commanding naval task forces that extract Hunt from a sinking carrier and secure the final AI core.
What to Expect: Regal authority, an inspiring rally-scene, and a final salute that underscores the film’s themes of duty and sacrifice.
Favorite Things: Opera, mentoring vocalists, and Sunday roast dinners.
Notable Works: Ted Lasso, Game of Thrones, Sex Education.
More Actors
• Shea Whigham as Jasper Briggs / Jim Phelps Jr.
• Greg Tarzan Davis as Theo Degas
• Charles Parnell as Richards
• Tramell Tillman as Captain Bledsoe
• Rolf Saxon as William Donloe
• Lucy Tulugarjuk as Tapeesa
• Pasha D. Lychnikoff as Captain Koltsov
• Tommie Earl Jenkins as Colonel Burdick
• Mariela Garriga as Marie
• Katy O’Brian as Kodiak
• Mark Gatiss as Angstrom
• Stephen Oyoung as Pills
FAQ – Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
What is the runtime of the film?
The Final Reckoning has a runtime of 170 minutes (2 hours and 50 minutes), making it the longest film in the franchise.
Is The Final Reckoning the last film in the Mission: Impossible series?
While the title suggests a conclusion, Tom Cruise has hinted that this may not be the definitive end.
At the Cannes Film Festival, he remarked, “It’s the final,” emphasizing the title, but also expressed his intention to continue making films well into his 100s. ECONOMICTIMES
Where was the film shot?
Filming locations included the United Kingdom, Malta, South Africa, and Norway.
What are some notable stunts in the film?
Tom Cruise performed a daring aerial stunt, clinging to the wing of an airplane flying at nearly 150 mph, a feat that took decades to perfect. PEOPLE
Conclusion
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning is a masterclass in high-stakes filmmaking, offering a bold, satisfying conclusion to a legendary action saga.
With Tom Cruise at his peak, the film masterfully balances heart-pounding spectacle with emotional depth and moral complexity.
Christopher McQuarrie’s direction ties up character arcs while pushing the boundaries of practical stunt work and storytelling.
It’s not just another action movie — it’s a cinematic farewell that honors its legacy while thrilling fans one final time. For longtime followers and newcomers alike, this finale is unforgettable.