Archive · 23 Sep 2026
Critics Split Over Tom Cruise’s Ambitious Satire Digger
Digger is a new movie directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu and starring Tom Cruise.
It is a funny but serious story about a rich oil tycoon.
In the movie, one of his oil rigs breaks and causes an environmental disaster around the world.
Cruise plays a character named Digger Rockwell.
Some critics think Cruise gives one of his best performances.
They also like the movie’s unusual visuals and ambitious ideas.
Other critics think the movie is confusing, unpleasant or poorly balanced.
The film is planned for release in Indian theaters on October 2.
Alejandro González Iñárritu’s satirical comedy Digger has drawn sharply divided reactions from American critics.
Several critics praised Tom Cruise’s performance, with one calling it his most dynamic and interesting role in years.
Supporters highlighted the film’s visual invention, ambitious concepts, performances, production design and cinematography.
Critics who disliked the film called it baffling, unpleasant or a mess, arguing that many elements did not work.
Digger stars Cruise as an oil tycoon whose rig malfunction causes a global environmental catastrophe and is scheduled for Indian release on October 2.
- Who
- Tom Cruise, director Alejandro González Iñárritu and the supporting cast, including Riz Ahmed, John Goodman, Sandra Hüller, Michael Stuhlbarg and Jesse Plemons.
- What
- Digger, a satirical comedy, received sharply divided reactions from critics after its press screening.
- When
- The film was reviewed following its press screening and is scheduled to release in Indian theaters on October 2.
- Where
- The reactions came from American critics; the film is scheduled to release in Indian theaters.
- Why
- Critics differed over the film’s balance of satire, theatricality, story and ambitious visual style.
Positive Assessments
Negative Assessments
Cruise’s performance
Positive Assessments
Supportive critics praised Cruise’s work, with Jim Hemphill calling it his best performance since Magnolia and Matt Neglia describing it as his most dynamic and interesting role in years.
Negative Assessments
Some critics felt the film did not allow the performance to develop enough depth or nuance because of its imbalanced narrative and theatricality.
Style and ambition
Positive Assessments
Supporters called Digger visually inventive, conceptually audacious, unpredictable, brave and gorgeous, and praised its production design and cinematography.
Negative Assessments
Skeptics argued that the film’s ambitious ideas and satire did not fully connect, describing it as baffling, unpleasant or a mess.
Mainstream appeal
Positive Assessments
Anne Thompson said the film could play well for the Academy, particularly in crafts and acting categories.
Negative Assessments
Thompson also said it would not score with mainstream audiences, while other critics questioned its overall enjoyment and expected a very poor audience response.
- Director
- Alejandro González Iñárritu
- Lead actor
- Tom Cruise
- Cruise’s character
- Digger Rockwell, a wealthy tycoon
- Film premise
- An oil-rig malfunction triggers an environmental catastrophe across the planet.
- Supporting cast
- Riz Ahmed, John Goodman, Sandra Hüller, Michael Stuhlbarg and Jesse Plemons
- Indian release
- Scheduled for October 2
- Makeup process
- Cruise’s makeup and prosthetics initially took six hours to complete