Archive · 28 Sep 2026
Collateral Shows Tom Cruise Outside His Usual Hero Persona
Collateral is about Max, a taxi driver working at night in Los Angeles.
One passenger, Vincent, seems friendly and talkative.
Max soon learns that Vincent is a hitman.
Vincent pays Max to drive him around while he completes several killings.
Max becomes frightened and tries to survive the night.
Vincent talks about philosophy and jazz while acting very dangerously.
Jamie Foxx plays the scared driver, and Tom Cruise plays the killer.
The film is praised for showing Cruise as someone very different from his usual heroic characters.
Michael Mann’s 2004 thriller follows Los Angeles taxi driver Max during a dangerous night.
Max agrees to drive Vincent, a charming hitman who is carrying out multiple killings.
Jamie Foxx plays Max, while Tom Cruise portrays the chilling and enigmatic Vincent.
The film uses nighttime cinematography, music and tense car sequences to build suspense.
Mark Ruffalo, Jada Pinkett Smith, Jason Statham and Javier Bardem also appear.
- Who
- Taxi driver Max, played by Jamie Foxx, and hitman Vincent, played by Tom Cruise, are the central characters; Jada Pinkett Smith and Mark Ruffalo also have notable roles.
- What
- Collateral is a thriller about Max being forced to drive Vincent around Los Angeles as Vincent carries out killings.
- When
- The film was released in 2004.
- Where
- The story takes place mainly in Los Angeles, including inside Max’s taxi.
- Why
- Vincent hires Max to drive him while he conducts his business; the film does not explain fully why Vincent kills beyond money.
- Film
- Collateral
- Release year
- 2004
- Director
- Michael Mann
- Screenwriter
- Stuart Beattie
- Runtime
- 120 minutes
- Main cast
- Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx
- Availability
- Netflix, JioHotstar, Prime Video and Apple TV
- Setting
- Los Angeles at night