With the final chapter of the Mission: Impossible saga now in cinemas, on the podcast, we rewind to where it all began: Brian De Palma’s 1996 original. We unpack what makes the first Mission: Impossible not just a standout in the franchise — but a masterclass in smart, stylish, emotionally rich filmmaking.
With the final chapter of the Mission: Impossible saga now in cinemas, we rewind to where it all began: Brian De Palma’s 1996 original. Film critic Alex Heeney is joined by fellow film critic Angelo Muredda to unpack what makes the first Mission: Impossible not just a standout in the franchise — but a masterclass in smart, stylish, emotionally rich filmmaking.
They explore how the film delivers so much more than slick stunts — with striking design choices, the cast’s crackling chemistry, and sharp visual storytelling all working together to build tension and meaning. Along the way, they dig into how the film teaches you how to watch it — starting with the very first scene — and why it remains the standout film within the franchise.
In the Mission: Impossible (1996) podcast, they explore:
- Why the original still hits decades later
- How De Palma draws parallels between spycraft and filmmaking
- How costumes, props, and performances tell us who these characters are
- The cast’s crackling chemistry
- What makes the Langley sequence so tense and unforgettable
- Why nothing — and no one — is quite what they seem
- How the production design reinforces the film’s emotional tension and themes of surveillance and mistrust
💬 Enjoy digging into filmmaking details like we did with Mission: Impossible (1996) on the podcast?
That’s one of the things we do inside Reel Ruminators — a space for curious film lovers to explore great movies together, spark insights, and deepen their appreciation of film craft.
Join by July 2, and you’ll get access to June’s featured film and the close readings we did together — perfect if you want more of the kind of scene-level analysis you heard in this episode.
👉 Click here to join Reel Ruminators
Links & Resources:
- 🎧 Listen to Episode 169 – David Cronenberg’s The Shrouds with Angelo Muredda
- 🎧 Listen to Episode 164 – Black Bag (which was written by one of the writers behind Mission: Impossible)
- 💌 Free guide to one of the best under-the-radar films of 2024
- 🎬 Join Reel Ruminators
- ✍️ More on cinematic structure and craft at Seventh Row
🎁 Want more films that linger? Grab Alex’s free companion guide to one of the best films of 2024 (a hidden gem). It includes a streaming guide, intro video, and prompts to deepen your viewing.
👉 Get the guide
Podcast Credits for this episode on Brian De Palma’s Mission: Impossible (1996)
Alex Heeney edited, produced, and recorded the episode.
Follow Seventh Row on Twitter, Bluesky and Instagram. Read our articles at seventh-row.com.
Follow Alex Heeney on Bluesky, Twitter and Instagram.
An AI-generated transcript for the episode is available on Apple Podcasts.
