Tom Cruise continues to defy death — and all expectations — with his daredevil stunts. During a Masterclass event at Cannes on Wednesday, writer-director Christopher McQuarrie was joined in conversation by Cruise,

“ Tom Cruise has done it again!” That’s the very early verdict from press screenings for the Hollywood icon’s latest film, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, with the film variously described as “astonishing,” “jaw-dropping,” “insane” and the “action movie of the summer.”

In a wide-ranging masterclass at the Cannes Film Festival, Christopher McQuarrie delved into the evolution of the "competitive" film business and why his collaboration with Tom Cruise offers a blueprint for how to keep theatergoers heading to the cineplex.