The original 1986 film Top Gun showcased a shirtless, muscular Tom Cruise playing volleyball in his classic aviator shades, securing his title as the mid-80s heartthrob. Once again, 36 years later, the Navy pilot film’s sequel Top Gun: Maverick has uncovered a new heartthrob: Miles Teller.
While Teller has starred in other critically-acclaimed films such as Whiplash and The Spectacular Now, many of his roles have portrayed him as a bit more geeky, rather than the intense “macho-man” role he plays in Top Gun. The serious action/adventure nature of this sequel has been overshadowed on major social media platforms such as TikTok as fans fawn over Miles Teller in all his mustachioed-glory.
Top Gun: Maverick mimics the original movie’s shirtless volleyball game with a shirtless beach football game instead, which has become the hot topic of discussion surrounding the movie on TikTok. A trend has been set where people in the theater watching the film will take videos of that particular scene— as Miles Teller chest bumps a friend and proceeds to do a victory dance— with the song “Take My Breath Away” by Berlin playing, which is a nod to the use of the song in the original movie. Then, the viewers proceed to film themselves with their mouths agape, “passed out” on the floor, or stumbling down the stairs in astonishment of Miles Teller.
Aside from this particular scene, Miles Teller’s role in Top Gun: Maverick has also reignited a facial hair trend that has been up-and-coming for a bit now: mustaches. What has now been called the “Top Gun Effect,” men all over social media have shared videos of themselves shaving their beards after watching the movie so that they only have a mustache, similar to Teller’s.
After almost 10 years in the film industry, Miles Teller is finally being given the heartthrob title that he so strongly deserves. As for the film itself, Rotten Tomatoes may provide a bit of a better insight.
