Revisiting Mission: Impossible (1996)


Hi Reader,

What makes the Langley vault sequence so memorable? The gum bomb? The characters who only have a couple of scenes?

What other film wrings this much tension from a floppy disk and a drop of sweat?

Ep. 174: Mission Impossible (1996) with Angelo Muredda

This week on the podcast, fellow film critic Angelo Muredda joins me to dig into why the original Mission: Impossible still stands apart. Not just because it was directed by Brian De Palma, but because of the elegance of its storytelling — how it builds tension and trusts the viewer.

We talk about:

🎬 How the film teaches you how to watch it

  • What the opening scene sets up about performance and deception
  • How it trains you to question what you’re seeing — and what you’re not

🎥 Visual storytelling that matters

  • How the production design builds tension and meaning
  • What costumes and props reveal before anyone even speaks

🎭 Performances with texture

  • Why even brief roles feel fully lived in
  • How the ensemble’s chemistry brings unpredictability

📍 What sets this one apart

  • The elegance of the storytelling
  • What this entry does that the rest of the franchise doesn’t

🎧 Listen now:

💡 Enjoying this kind of deep dive into film craft and storytelling?
This podcast is just the tip of the iceberg.

Every month in Reel Ruminators, we watch one unforgettable film together — and explore what makes it tick, what it stirs in us, and why it stays with us.

The journey — from discovery to reflection to discussion — is engaging, surprising, and genuinely fun.

This month’s film is something rare: a joyful, funny, and unexpectedly uplifting story — from Palestine.

You don’t need to be an expert. Just bring your curiosity. I’ll bring the context, the prompts, and the kind of conversation that makes great films even better.

👉 A new month (and a new film) just started: Click here to join us for this month’s film

What still hits hardest for you in Mission: Impossible?
That’s the kind of question we keep exploring in Reel Ruminators — and I’d love to hear your take.

Just hit reply and tell me what’s stuck with you.

Cheers,

Alex


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Seventh Row

Seventh Row is a nonprofit Canadian film criticism publication and publishing house. We're dedicated to helping you expand your horizons by curating the best socially progressive films from around the world and helping you think deeply about them. This newsletter is run by Seventh Row (http://seventh-row.com) but features exclusive content not found on the website.

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