Back in 2004, the movie turned heads because Tom Cruise went completely against type — no heroic pilot, no charming spy, just Vincent, a cold-blooded hitman in a gray suit who forces a cab driver named Max (Jamie Foxx, who ended up getting an Oscar nomination) to drive him all night across Los Angeles while he carries out a string of hits. It’s not exactly the kind of cab ride you’d want to be stuck in, but the tension, the banter, and the way Mann shoots the city at night makes it completely hypnotic.
One of the biggest reasons the movie has aged so well is Mann’s choice to shoot it digitally, which was still kind of a new thing at the time, and that gave the whole film this weirdly real, almost documentary-like feel that makes Los Angeles look neon and endless and dangerous all at once. The recent 20th anniversary 4K release only made that more obvious, with all the deleted scenes, commentary, and extras showing just how much Mann sweated every single detail.
And then there’s the cast. Cruise and Foxx carry the whole thing, but the supporting roles from Jada Pinkett Smith, Mark Ruffalo, Javier Bardem, and even Peter Berg (yes, the director of Lone Survivor) add so much texture. Everyone feels like a real person who just happens to cross Vincent’s path, and it makes the story feel bigger than just a night in a cab.
So, What About Jason Statham?
Here’s where things get fun. Hardcore fans have always noticed that the guy who hands Vincent a briefcase at the airport in the very first scene sure looks a lot like Jason Statham, and they weren’t wrong. He’s officially in the movie as “Airport Man,” uncredited, but in 2022, screenwriter Stuart Beattie confirmed the fan theory that it’s supposed to actually be Frank Martin from The Transporter.
“Absolutely Frank Martin of Transporter. I asked Jason about that… Yeah, absolutely. Yes, it’s canon. Same world… the studio will never admit to that, but in my head, absolutely it’s him.”
So, yeah, Collateral is secretly a crossover movie and no one can tell you otherwise, which makes Cruise and Statham sharing the screen, even if it’s for like 30 seconds, a little piece of movie nerd gold.
You can catch Collateral right now on Paramount+ in the U.S. or on Netflix in select countries.