Review
Digger (2026)
image: Warner Bros. Pictures
Director: Alejandro G. Iñárritu
Writers: Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Alexander Dinelaris, Nicolás Giacobone, Sabina Berman
Cast: Tom Cruise, John Goodman, Riz Ahmed, Sandra Hüller, Michael Stuhlbarg, Jesse Plemons, Sophie Wilde, Robert John Burke, Emma D’Arcy, Burn Gorman, Danny Kirrane
Run Time: 2h 9m
UK Rating: 15
10/10
Before watching Digger, I read that movie industry analysts were predicting that the film was set to become one of the biggest box office flops of the year. Based on our theatre experience I’m sadly inclined to agree. Our viewing, which was on the 2nd October (UK release day), four people walked out. One couple in the first thirty minutes, a person in the middle of the film and then the last went around half an hour before the end. That's not counting the woman who was fast asleep for the last half of the film. Suffice to say I’m not expecting good word of mouth on the film which is a shame. While Digger is bound to be divisive (it's already dividing critics) there’s going to be an audience for the film’s bleak, acerbic satire. The problem is that in discussing Digger you can’t talk about the nature of its appeal without spoiling the fun.
Tom Cruise plays Digger Rockwell, an over the top oil magnate whose endless drilling and disregard for the environment has led to a catastrophe that threatens western Europe. He’s tasked by evangelical US President Compson (John Goodman) to clear up the mess that he’s made and together with scientist and Digger’s Chief Environmental Safety Officer Dr. Nirav Ganesh (Riz Ahmed) he must try to avert the disaster he’s caused. That’s about as much as we can discuss the plot of Digger without pushing into spoiler territory, in fact I’m shocked that so much of the film has remained under wraps considering how massive the production feels. I believe that it’s a film you should go into with as little knowledge as possible, which may prove to be difficult now that the (animatronic) cat is out of the bag. Every aspect of the production is sure to spark debate. There’s people already furious at the misleading publicity campaign and deceptive marketing while the opposite camp hails the metatextual lead up to the film.
image: Warner Bros. Pictures
Tom Cruise is a good actor, he wouldn’t have such a storied and lengthy career if he wasn't. It is just sometimes easy to reduce him as the thrill seeking movie star whose films are sold using the ludicrous real world stunts Cruise performs. Occasionally though, (seems to be once per decade now) he’ll team up with a critically acclaimed director and deliver a performance that’s in complete opposition to his status as a bankable action star. In fact his brief appearance as the Pick-up Artist guru Frank McKay in Paul Thomas Anderson’s Magnolia (1998) feels oddly prescient and comparable to the obnoxious modern “Manosphere” grifters. So after “saving cinema” with Top Gun: Maverick (2024) Tom Cruise has delivered what is undoubtedly his most idiosyncratic performance yet. Buried under make up and prosthetics which make the actor look his actual age, Cruise’s Digger is a character that dominates every scene and feels mammoth on screen. Digger Rockwell is ridiculous, craven and astute, able to size up situations and control public opinion. When Digger is first introduced, surrounded by luxury he’s singularly devoted to the care of his geriatric cat, whose life expectancy is judged by the world’s leading expert in feline health to be anywhere from two weeks to five minutes. The cat happens to be the only indication that Digger has a heart, everything else is secondary. He couldn’t care less about the crack his oil drilling has created in Greenland until it becomes something he can no longer ignore. Even then, the White House convenes to formulate a response to the disaster, they must come to Digger’s home. John Goodman is blisteringly brilliant as President Compson. A pastiche that would have been ridiculous a couple of decades ago but is depressingly realistic today with Michael Stuhlbarg almost unrecognisable as his awkward, uncharismatic VP. It’s Riz Ahmed’s Dr. Ganesh who is the sole voice of reason against Digger’s belligerent, destructive personality, possibly the only character in the film who is even remotely sympathetic. Sandra Hüller is brilliant as Digger’s long suffering half sister whose green solutions corporation is indebted to the tycoon even as he denigrates her. It’s a shame that certain performances would be difficult to discuss without revealing more than I wish to but Jesse Plemons is utterly excellent in a role that helps to contextualise the narrative.
Screenwriters Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Alexander Dinelaris. Nicolás Giacobone and Sabina Berman (Jez Butterworth also shares a story by credit with Iñárritu and Berman) have crafted something immensely dense and thought provoking. A film which questions the value of making art that criticises or ridicules the real life men like Digger and explores their psychology. Is there worth in lavishing attention on those responsible for our perilous situation? The film is darkly comic, a broad and uncomfortable gallows humour that for some is going to be a bit too close to home. These monstrous creatures are sometimes reduced to caricatures, throwing back popcorn as they watch scenes of carnage but it's unfortunately not far from the truth (such as a huddled prayer circle around the President). We’re pretty much beyond the point where satire is able to be delivered with any degree of subtlety. So instead the film is angry, furious with the society that allows people to ignore the global harm they cause in the name of profit and how helpless we are to do anything in opposition.
image: Warner Bros. Pictures
It’s all so carefully considered. From the seventies costumes and sets, (a deliberate anachronism), the grotesque look of the actors and Dennis Gassner and Richard L. Johnson’s awe inspiring production design. This is a film in which each aspect manages to play a greater role in the narrative than you would first consider and one that I’m sure will reward repeat viewings. Some sections are simply too overwhelming and crowded to take in everything at once. Not to the extremes of Iñárritu’s seemingly one-take Birdman (2014) but there are some dizzyingly long shots, especially during Digger’s pivotal speech to the leaders of Europe. It’s such a meticulously orchestrated sequence that it’s difficult not to marvel at the choreography even as Cruise delivers what is probably the finest scene of his career. It’s an impressive piece of filmmaking, bolstered by the nimble camerawork of cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki which impressively tracks Digger around the auditorium.
Digger is set to be the last film released by Warner Bros. before the company's monopolistic merger with Paramount, ending their last year's critical success with big budget auteur projects (Sinners and One Battle After Another). I honestly can’t think of a more ironic and damning final shot for the end of the storied studio, those who remained in the cinema appeared shellshocked as the credits began to roll.
The idea was something that Alejandro G. Iñárritu had been toying with since The Revenant (2015), trying to find a story to best showcase the character, whom he said came to him fully realised. It’s clear from the opening moments of the film that the director and star have chosen to make what’s probably going to be the boldest move of their career. One which they should be applauded for regardless of your opinion of the film itself. Cruise especially should try and take on riskier and more substantial roles, because his performance as Digger is more interesting and entertaining than the majority of the roles in his career. Once the film has been out for a while I suspect I will return to write further on Digger in order to dive into the wider themes without fear of spoiling a film that I hope finds its way to an appreciative audience.
Watched at Cinema
Published 3rd October 2026