Vanilla Sky

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Vanilla Sky

R

2001

2h 14m

Mystery & Thriller

Drama

Romance

Sci-Fi

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

41%

Tomatometer

169 Reviews

72%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

Tom Cruise and Cameron Crowe reunite after "Jerry Maguire" for "Vanilla Sky," the story of a young New York City publishing magnate who finds himself on an unexpected roller-coaster ride of romance, comedy, suspicion, love, sex and dreams in a mind-bending search for his soul.

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Critics Consensus

An ambitious mix of genres, Vanilla Sky collapses into an incoherent jumble. Cruise's performance lacks depth, and it's hard to feel sympathy for his narcissistic character.

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Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

Feb 26, 2019

I now find Cruise tolerable only when he's in a movie that undercuts or ridicules his narcissism--as Eyes Wide Shut did and as this movie does even more noticeably.

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Christy Lemire

Associated Press

Oct 25, 2018

Vanilla Sky is nearly identical to the 1997 Spanish film it's based on, except it's set in Manhattan instead of Madrid and has a much better soundtrack.

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Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

Dec 29, 2010

3/5

Some surface appeal, but ultimately vacant.

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Yasser Medina

Cinefilia

Jan 22, 2026

4/10

Frankly, I find it a tiring and unbearably dull film starring Tom Cruise, one that makes me want to close my eyes when it descends into the abyss of psychological thriller and speculative science fiction. [Full review in Spanish]

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Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

Sep 16, 2024

5/10

Psychological shocks and an unreliable narrator keep things engaging, even with brief lulls and a purposely frustrating timeline, presenting continual unease and uncertainty.

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Vadim Rizov

Filmmaker Magazine

Nov 29, 2022

If the star and director are (kind of) worrying about the same middle-age falloff, Crowe’s specific fears are more compelling to me and responsible for what, intellectually, is the movie’s most fascinating idea.

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Keith B

@Okbullard 5 days ago

It was ok and definitely not my favorite Cruise film. It tended to drag and was pretty bizarre.

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Aptil B

@Spring26 Oct 26, 2026

These low ratings are ridiculous. Maybe they just didn't get it. I remember when it first released many people saying they didn't understand it and even walked out. And it is a million times better than the original. It's almost comical at this point. Not to knock the original. But only Hollywood could make something that good, even better.

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Peter F

@Pfit1990 Oct 4, 2026

Quite a detailed and interesting movie that just goes all over the place lol. Tom Cruise's disfigured face is done so well. It rambles in the middle but ends with a strong final act that explains everything well. It also highlighted how one moment getting into the car with her changed his future with Sophia. And that is very true in life, one moment can change everything

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Dakota P

@DaCinephile Sep 21, 2026

I had the privilege of watching Vanilla Sky early in my life, just as I was beginning to wake up to the beauty film could bring to the world. That viewing helped shape some of what I believe movies are capable of doing. Vanilla Sky is a marvel of filmmaking. The entire cast operates at the edge of excellence together, and Tom Cruise delivers one of his strongest performances. The threads of pop culture woven throughout give the film an organic humanity that would be impossible to force. On a deeper level, Vanilla Sky touches on countless philosophical inquiries. Causation sits at its core, while questions of agency and metaphysics permeate the experience. The film has the power to change the viewer through its exploration of love, and of how love’s immediacy can take a stranglehold on existence. I love this film.

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Wayne H

@RAAAK Sep 19, 2026

One of the best movies ever, BRILLIANT writing and acting, everything. One of Tom Cruise’s best performances.

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Bella S

@BellaSims Aug 20, 2026

This film grabs my heart and holds it long after it ends. A film about tragedy, loss, vulnerability, denial, love, insanity, betrayal, vengeance. I’ll always love this film. Tom delivers. Cameron delivers. Penelope delivers. This movie is magic.

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Cameron Crowe

Director

Tom Cruise

David Aames

Penélope Cruz

Sofia Serrano

Cameron Diaz

Julie Gianni

Kurt Russell

McCabe

Jason Lee

Brian Shelby

Vanilla Sky: Official Clip - Hiding

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Vanilla Sky: Official Clip - Where is Sofia?

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Vanilla Sky: Official Clip - Bros

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Vanilla Sky: Official Clip - The Car Crash

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Vanilla Sky: Official Clip - A Real Life

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Vanilla Sky: Official Clip - Citizen Dildo

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Vanilla Sky: Official Clip - Almost Worthy Dying For

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Vanilla Sky: Official Clip - Sofia's Ability

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Vanilla Sky: Official Clip - Every Passing Minute

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Synopsis

Tom Cruise and Cameron Crowe reunite after "Jerry Maguire" for "Vanilla Sky," the story of a young New York City publishing magnate who finds himself on an unexpected roller-coaster ride of romance, comedy, suspicion, love, sex and dreams in a mind-bending search for his soul.

Director: Cameron Crowe
Producer: Cameron Crowe, Tom Cruise, Paula Wagner
Screenwriter: Alejandro Amenábar, Cameron Crowe, Mateo Gil
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Production Co: Cruise-Wagner Productions, Paramount Pictures, Vinyl Films, Sogecine
Rating: R (Strong Language|Sexuality)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 14, 2001, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 1, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $100.6M
Runtime: 2h 14m
Sound Mix: Dolby SR, DTS, Dolby Stereo, Surround, Dolby A, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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