I’m Rewatching All of the Mission: Impossible Movies Before Final Reckoning. Here’s Where You Can Binge the Whole Franchise
Mission: Impossible hit cinemas in 1996 as an adaptation of the 1966 television series of the same name. The Brian De Palma-directed film, starring Tom Cruise, was a critical success and kickstarted a franchise so successful that MI movies are still coming out more than two decades later.
When the first movie came out I was extremely excited to see it and borrowed the VHS tape from a neighbor. Flash forward to 2000 and I made it my mission to see the sequel, MI2, at the box office. After directors De Palma, John Woo, J.J. Abrams and Brad Bird played hot potato with the reins, Christopher McQuarrie helmed the next four films, beginning with Rogue Nation. With Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning coming out May 23, I’m planning on binge-watching the whole series on a streaming service.
If you’re thinking about doing the same thing — or at least re-watching the previous film — here’s where you can stream all of the Mission: Impossible movies for an adrenaline-fueled romp.
How to watch Mission: Impossible parts 1-7
The entire Mission: Impossible series — from the 1996 original to 2023’s Dead Reckoning — is available to stream on Paramount Plus, making it the most convenient streaming service to binge the franchise.
Prime Video includes the first four films alongside the seventh in your subscription: Mission: Impossible, MI 2, MI III, Ghost Protocol and Dead Reckoning. The other two films require a rental or purchase fee. Hulu subscribers can stream the first five movies: Mission: Impossible, MI 2, MI III, Ghost Protocol and Rogue Nation.
Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning hits theaters on May 23, in a year that will also see Paramount Pictures bring back two other franchises this summer, with Smurfs arriving in July and The Naked Gun coming in August.
Paramount Plus has a starting price of $8 per month or $60 per year for its basic, ad-supported plan. The Paramount Plus with Showtime tier goes for $13 a month or $120 per year. You can take advantage of a one-week free trial if you’d like to test the service out before committing.
Alternatively, you can get Paramount Plus with a Walmart Plus subscription, which sets you back $13 per month or $98 per year. If you have Walmart Plus, you can upgrade from the entry-level Paramount Plus tier to Paramount Plus with Showtime for $5.50 per month or $65 annually. In addition to the MI movies, you can stream tons of other films and series on Paramount Plus, including Smile 2, Evil and Criminal Minds: Evolution.
Do you need to watch the entire Mission: Impossible series before The Final Reckoning?
Generally, most of the Mission: Impossible movies are at least somewhat standalone, especially Mission: Impossible 2. While I recommend watching the whole lineup, I recognize that not everyone has time for a commitment like that.
At the very least, whether it’s been a while or you’ve never seen it, I recommend watching Dead Reckoning because The Final Reckoning is a direct sequel. The trailer for the new movie references Mission: Impossible, MI III, Ghost Protocol, Fallout and Dead Reckoning, so it’s worth queuing those flicks up. MI 2 and Rogue Nation don’t show up in the trailer, although that’s not to say there’s no continuity with them in The Final Reckoning.
