#nathan algren

TOM CRUISE as NATHAN ALGREN and KEN WATANABE as KATSUMOTO

You can find part one with all the explanation for what I’m looking for in a cut and style on TC, as well as a breakdown of his bone structure and why I think certain things work, as well as all of the lower rankings for the films not included in this post here.

But here’s the rest of my rankings!

#12: Claus Stauffenberg (Valkyrie) —

• With this cut, we’ve come back to something a little shorter. This is actually another high and tight, though again, I’d say it’s much more relaxed than some others we’ve seen. I’d say lengthwise, it’s probably very similar to Mav’s haircut.

• The reason this look ranks higher than any of the others is actually the texture. I really like Tom with curls, texture, and volume, all of which this look has. Whether they achieved this look with wet sets, heat styling, or even a perm, I don’t know. But I like it.

#11: Steve Randle (The Outsiders) —

• The thing about Tom’s features is he fits a certain aesthetic of 50s/60s vintage style. His bone structure reminds me of James Dean or young Marlon Brando, and that is no more prevalent than in this film.

• What I love about this cut is it seems to messy and unkempt, like he cuts it himself, but yet it’s styled so carefully. This is a poor teenage boy who’s dedicated to dressing like a greaser and looking good. This hairstyle is commentary on a thousand things aside from how it looks on him and I adore it.

• Having said that, we’re not necessarily talking about how well the style fits in the setting, but rather how it suits him. And I shockingly love this slicked style on him solely because they mussed the top and gave it some fluff where he needs it.

• And I wan’t dawdle more on this section because…

#10: Stefan Djordjevic (All The Right Moves) —

• This cut is basically the exact same as the cut from The Outsiders. The only difference is the way they style it. And I love how they style Stef.

• There’s no product, really, it seems like it’s only ever styled with water. Which, again, the cut itself is messy in a way that speaks of the character coming from a lower class background and the way he styles it is just another example of that.

• But aside from that, Stef is ranked higher than Steve because A, I like the more messy, piecey way we see the haircut in All The Right Moves versus The Outsiders, and B, I think it’s slightly longer and I like it better.

• I also like the little tufts that fall into his face in All The Right Moves.

#9: Ethan Hunt (Ghost Protocol) —

• We’re encroaching on my favorite Ethan look with this one. This is my favorite MI movie, as well, and his appearance in it factors into that.

• I really like the messy, longer layers. I like how he can look extremely disheveled in certain scenes and clean and put together in other scenes. It’s the perfect in between look for that goal.

• I really like the brushed back style he wears through most of the film and the little kick up at the back where it’s just getting long enough to curve a little. It’s got a nice amount of volume in the top and the sides, and it just looks soft.

#8: Jack (Legend) —

• Those who know me maybe be shocked that this is at number 8 and not higher. I, too, was shocked that it landed here.

• But this cut feels like it moreso stumbled it’s way into looking good rather than being a purposeful shape someone created.

• This cut is a classic shag. The kind you’d see in the 80s and 90s. Messy, unkempt layers with a distinct weight line. It’s a cut intended to be styled with intent. That’s not the case in this film. Which, I don’t condemn it for, the cut itself and the messy style fits the youthful forest-going character in a medieval setting. He’s wholly unconcerned with his appearance and it fits him aesthetically. I get that.

• But if I was given this cut in my chair and told to fix it, I would blend and soften those layers in the back, soften the face framing, and shorten the bangs. This cut needs some minor adjustments to be my favorite and for that, I place it here.

• You may be wondering, “if it’s so close to perfect, why is it at 8?” Well, the way it’s styled.

• Like I said, I don’t mind the messy unkempt styling. But A, the little ponytail he wears through half of this film just flat out doesn’t work with the cut since most of the shorter layers don’t fit back into the tie to begin with. And B, his hair always looks greasy in this movie. And I know there are other films where that is the case and I don’t mention it, but in those films it feels like a purposeful thing for the character. This… I don’t know why Jack’s hair would be greasy. It bothers me.

#7: Brian Flannagan (Cocktail) —

• Okay. This is my favorite look from the 80s. Shocking, I know. And Jack is a close second to this, but…

• I love this cut. The messy, fluffy texture, the volume, the slight waviness. It suits the character but more than that, it fits Tom’s face beautifully.

• He glows with this cut and this style. I don’t know how to explain it. It brings his eyes out. It lets his jawline and his cheekbones shine. It’s just a good cut.

• I love the way it’s styled like it was done on purpose in a way he wanted to look like he woke up that way. It’s just well-done.

#6: David Aames (Vanilla Sky)/Ethan Hunt (MI2) —

• My favorite Ethan look, by far, much as I hate to admit it because I loathe this film, is MI2. The cut in Vanilla Sky is markedly similar, so I’m counting them together.

• This cut takes every complaint I had about Charlie Babbitt and fixes it. All the heavy weight and bulk is removed, the cut is well texturized, the face frame falls where it should. I also really love the more centered part. Most of his hairstyles before this point are styled with a part that lands right over his right eye. MI2 has an almost perfect middle part and I think it suits him so nicely.

Now entering our Top 5!

#5: 90s Tom Cruise Cut (A Few Good Men, The Firm, Jerry Maguire, Eyes Wide Shut, Lions For Lambs, and Knight And Day) —

• Okay, I know not every film I’m including in this is from the nineties but this was his most common haircut through the nineties so that’s what we’re calling it.

• Take every complaint I’ve had about his shorter cuts so far and fix them. That’s this cut. It’s not too short, it leaves enough width at the sides, it’s soft snd voluminous on top but it’s not bulky or heavy, the pieces in the front are soft and piecey. Occasionally, his bangs are styled forward.

• Of all the cuts that he kept for an extended period of time, I think this was the best one.

#4: Stacee Jaxx (Rock Of Ages) —

• Who is shocked? Lol, probably nobody.

• This is another shag, similar to Legend, but it’s a bit more texturized in order to fit the rockstar aesthetic of the character.

• This cut has a lot of layering in ways that almost make me wonder if the h&m team installed extensions to achieve this look. The bottom is concaved out, leaving the soft, thin pieces to hang down much longer than most of the crazier texture up top. It’s a very specific type of cut, and one that I love.

• The only reason this cut isn’t higher is because, like with Legend, I think the bangs are still too long, and like with Magnolia, I think it’s styled far too straight. It gets extra credit for the bandanna style, however, with the face framing pieces hanging free.

#3: Joseph Donnelly (Far And Away) —

• At number three, we have the Irish boy. If you haven’t figured it out yet, I like TC with curls and messy texture. This cut and style is nothing but that.

• I actually quite like this lighter, softer brown. I think the curls themselves are to do with most of that, seeing as the texture lets more light pass through, but the 90s is where we see a return to Tom’s natural hair color (or something very similar) compared to the darker shades of the late eighties. And like I said, this style lets that shine.

• This cut is actually very similar to the cut from Losin’ It or Risky Business. The key difference being his hair is not stick straight in this film and the waves break up all of that heavy texture I didn’t like in those cuts. In this iteration, bangs that were once too heavy for his face soften his brows and bring out his eyes. And where the top once lacked volume, the fluff of the curls now gives the length on top much more body and movement.

• I really love this look.

#2: Cole Trickle (Days Of Thunder) —

• In second, we have Cole. I did not expect this cut to make it this high but the more I analyzed it, the more I loved it.

• All of the qualities I’ve loved from previous cuts are here. Forward styled soft bangs, volume in the top, texture all over, width at the sides, a kick in the back. I love the little wings at the nape of his neck and the way his hair hugs his ears. It balances his shape, draws attention to his best features, and softens the angles of his face.

• It’s just a really good cut.

#1: Nathan Algren (The Last Samurai) —

• I knew when I sat down to do this that Nathan was going to come out on top. I’ve loved this look since I first saw it.

• First of all, the cut itself is just very well executed. The layers are nicely blended together and they aren’t too heavy or too soft. The length isn’t too blunt. The bangs land exactly where I think they should to accent his face, and curve out in such a perfect shape. It is beautifully done.

• This cut takes every critique I have for Legend and Rock Of Ages and it fixes it. It’s styled with a beautiful touch of volume, it looks windblown. I also think this shade of brown is his best color.

• This cut gives him a sort of softness that accurately captures Nathan’s strength as well as his vulnerability and it works so harmoniously with his facial hair in this film.