“Digger” follows the most powerful man in the world as he embarks on a mission to prove he is humanity’s savior before the disaster he unleashed destroys everything.
Within its 129 minutes, “Digger” is many different things. Two of them are brilliant and terrible. The film contains some of the most electric moments of 2026 so far. It also features a nonsensical, overreaching screenplay that makes the experience as a whole feel interminable. Throughout, one question kept popping up: who on Earth thought this was a good idea?
The performances are clearly the defining piece of the film, and there are several memorable ones. Tom Cruise (Digger Rockwell) is at the center. You can’t tell by his looks, but the classic Cruise voice does appear in moments. This is an over-the-top role on every level, with scream-filled rambles, finger guns and more. Shifting from “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” to this is a big change. Luckily for co-writer and director Alejandro González Iñárritu, Cruise is the glue that keeps “Digger” together — just barely. Also appearing are John Goodman (President Compson), Sandra Hüller (Emma), Riz Ahmed (Ganesh), Jesse Plemons (Kenny) and many others.
Plemons plays a character who feels completely out of place at first. As the narrative progresses, however, his performance actually becomes of importance. While relegated to a few brief scenes, his delivery cements the film’s messaging as it draws to a close. Hüller has an equally small role, probably remaining the most constrained of the entire cast. Goodman and Ahmed are just as unhinged as Cruise, with shouting matches going on for so long that it’s unbelievable they didn’t run out of breath.
“I have cancer in my a–hole. That’s why the world has cancer, you see?”
From the start, “Digger” is extremely theatrical. The early stages seem to have no direction, with Iñárritu having Cruise stumble around to show off the impressive prosthetics. Eventually, the film kicks into gear, and it’s compelling. This lasts only so long before the theatrics take over again. Creative choices take the movie in a wildly different direction than expected, which is sure to turn away many viewers. Give it some time, and it may just win you back.
This is social satire at its finest and worst. There are a plethora of instances where Iñárritu, Sabina Berman, Alexander Dinelaris and Nicolás Giacobone’s script force-feeds commentary to the audience. Whether this is about the current political climate, environmental issues or other socioeconomic factors, it has it. For those wanting an escape from reality, it’s likely going to result in many eyerolls. At the same time, it’s arguable that this is the perfect escape after all. “Digger” wants viewers to laugh. Does it annoyingly tell you this directly? Yes. But it’s also easy to read between the lines — we need to laugh at ourselves to get through it. In a world full of so much wrong, sometimes all it takes is a different perspective to make things right.
Similar to Ari Aster’s “Eddington,” this pokes fun at people of all ideologies. By the end, it does deliver a clear statement: there’s no room for complacency. The “woke police” may not like to hear this, but “Digger” isn’t woke. It’s simply asking for action rather than just talk.
Director of photography Emmanuel Lubezki also brings a unique style. The camera remains low in “Digger,” capturing the characters at an upward angle. This makes them appear to look down on the audience while speaking, which further conveys the “rich versus poor” messaging. The sound design adds an extra layer of depth to these visuals. Organic noises are intermixed with Cosmo Sheldrake’s score, whether that’s dripping water or whistling. As soon as these sounds stop, roaring compositions come in. This gives the film’s big scenes a larger-than-life feel.
Even with all the good inside, it’s hard to say that “Digger” is a “good” movie. Certain aspects of the plot are purposefully left in the dark for long stretches of the overstuffed runtime. This delivers shock value, while also making some of the developments feel like complete nonsense in the moment. By trying to meticulously piece together a puzzle, Iñárritu sometimes forgets to actually entertain.
“Digger” is superb in spurts but plain bad in others. The charged performances alone at least make this social satire one to remember.
Rating: 3 out of 5
