'Best film ever' starring Tom Cruise returns to Netflix - fans hail as 'slam dunk'

A thriller starring Tom Cruise hailed by one fan as "the best movie ever" has returned to Netflix. Jack Reacher (2012) follows the adventures of the titular US Army Major Military Police investigator (Cruise) who has walked away from the service, becoming a drifter.

But he's drawn back into the front line after a military sniper is accused of a mass shooting, and Jack comes to believe the police's account doesn't add up. The star-studded cast also includes Rosamund Pike, iconic filmmaker Werner Herzog, Robert Duvall, David Oyelowo, Richard Jenkins, and Jai Courtney.

The film is based on Lee Child's 2005 novel One Shot, the ninth book his wildly successful Jack Reacher series. It was directed by Christopher McQuarrie, known for his work on a number of movies in the iconic Mission Impossible fanchise Cruise is perhaps best known for.

The first Jack Reacher film was added to the streaming platform today, Saturday (November 1), along with the sequel Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (2016).

The first has fairly low scores of 64% and 67% on Rotten Tomatoes' Tomatometer and Popcornmeters, which reflecting the response of approved critics and general audiences, respectively.

However, the movie drew passionate approval from fans of the series, many of whom laud the screen adaptation for its performances and action.

One fan on the platform said: "Best movie ever and he need to do more movies like this."

Another said: "Although not as described in the books, Tom Cruise almost always does a great job in action movies, and doesn't disappoint here either, excellent movie!"

A third said: "Slam dunk! Who cares if it doesn't follow the books or whatever. Solid intelligent plot and action sequences; kept me intrigued and on the edge of my seat from start to finish. Bravo."

A fourth said: "This movie flew under my radar for years, but after watching it I've found out that I have been missing out. It's a better story then it lets on to be at the start but the performances are what really makes the film what it is.

"Cruise is a phenomenal Jack Reacher and Pike and his chemistry is perfect for this kind of movie. The setup and Courtney as the villain with a higher power pulling the strings was a perfect way to go about it.

"The film leaves you absolutely wanting a second one and to see just how far Reacher can go to save the people that need saving."

The film has a 15 certificate, and contains strong violence and one use of strong language.

Jack Reacher is streaming on Netflix now.