Tom Cruise’s Best Sci-Fi Action Movie Is Finding A New Audience On Netflix

Tom Cruise’s sci-fi run (so far) has been an interesting mix of blockbuster entries and high-concept food for thought. Genre blends like Cameron Crowe’s “Vanilla Sky” meld sci-fi elements with romantic drama, while Joseph Kosinski’s “Oblivion” infuse standard genre tropes with a twist. Of course, there’s the unforgettable “Minority Report” — loosely based on Philip K. Dick’s novella of the same name — which saw Cruise slip into the shoes of a Precrime officer racing against time to preemptively prove his innocence, all the while grappling with the concept of predeterminism. Although every Cruise sci-fi film has something interesting to offer (including the incredibly effective “War of the Worlds”), Doug Liman’s “Edge of Tomorrow” promises an adventure truly novel and exciting, with Cruise embodying a character who has to earn the mantle of a hero the hard way.

Well, great news: “Edge of Tomorrow” is now sitting at number two on the Netflix Top 10 list in the U.S., just behind the newly-released thriller, “Rebel Ridge” (via FlixPatrol). Such a high ranking for this thoroughly entertaining film warrants little justification, as it is a treat for first-time viewers and an even more improved experience for those watching it a second (or third) time. The Netflix sci-fi formula usually works really well, with several under-the-radar or overlooked films often climbing up the ranks pretty quickly, and the blockbuster status of “Edge of Tomorrow” solidifies its pull and current ranking among the charts. So, what is “Edge of Tomorrow” about?

Based on Hiroshi Sakurazaka’s sci-fi light novel “All You Need Is Kill,” which follows a soldier named Keiji Kiriya, “Edge of Tomorrow” sees Cruise play Major William Cage, whose heroism is revealed to be a sham due to his utter lack of field experience. An alien race known as the Mimics is waging war on Earth, and these never-ending battles emerge as the focal point of the film, where Cage has to prove himself worthy despite impossible odds. At the opposing end of the heroism scale is the formidable Angel of Verdun, Rita Vrataski (Emily Blunt), who begrudgingly trains Cage while the two must piece together the inner workings of a complicated time loop that might be the key to saving the world.

Spoilers for “Edge of Tomorrow” to follow.

Sakurazaka’s light novel posits Kiriya as a new recruit, shaping his inexperience as a factor outside of his control, where he is somewhat competent in fighting despite dying a couple of times after killing an unusual Mimic. Kiriya’s lack of battle experience is quickly overcome by his ingenuity, as he finds a way to constantly better himself and replace his bolt gun with a more efficient weapon to take down the Mimics faster. In contrast, Cruise’s Cage is an experienced PR official who has never set foot on the battlefield, injecting a strain of cowardice in his personality that he needs to overcome with increasingly dangerous trial-and-error sortie runs. The first few time loops are played for comedic effect, allowing Cruise to shine as an officer who must rely on his wits to compensate for his lack of training while enduring ridicule from fellow soldiers and getting killed even before the battle rounds commence.

Blunt’s Vrataski is clearly a standout, as her direct, no-nonsense approach clashes with Cage’s exasperated attempts to survive her vigorous training, and later, deal with the unalterable truth of her death during their most important mission. Their relationship, which starts as contentious and gradually blooms into respectful companionship, is only fully realized during the film’s climax, where this fleeting moment of vulnerability defines who they are, and what they could have been. The whole Omega superorganism narrative device might feel a bit cliche at first, but the script allows these aspects to flow as naturally as possible, with Blunt and Cruise grounding the elusive time travel mechanisms with effective depth and panache.

The rest makes for a really enjoyable time: the battle sequences look fluid, the powered-exoskeleton suits are cool, and the dynamic within the J-Squad keeps the third act from falling flat, contributing to a well-rounded blockbuster. The emotional ramifications of the time travel shenanigans are reined in at the end, leaving us to ponder about the what-ifs and could-have-beens that float between the sands of time.

“Edge of Tomorrow” is currently streaming on Netflix.