Tom Cruise has broken a nine-year critical streak as his latest film, Digger, debuted with a “rotten” designation on Rotten Tomatoes, according to reports. Directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Alejandro G. Iñárritu, the satirical black comedy features Cruise as Digger Rockwell, an eccentric and ultra-rich oil tycoon who accidentally unleashes a cataclysmic ecological disaster that threatens humanity. Described as the world’s most powerful man, the protagonist embarks on a frantic mission to prove he is humanity’s savior before the disaster destroys everything.
Tom Cruise’s Polarizing New Film Digger Lands Rotten Reviews
The movie features a star-studded supporting cast including Riz Ahmed as Ganesh, John Goodman as President Compson, Sandra Hüller as Emma Rockwell, Michael Stuhlbarg as the Vice President, Jesse Plemons as Kenny, and Emma D’Arcy as Lina. The screenplay was written by Iñárritu, Alexander Dinelaris, Nicolás Giacobone, and Sabina Berman, based on a story by Iñárritu, Berman, and Jez Butterworth.
Critical Reception and Rotten Tomatoes Score
Following the lifting of the review embargo, the film’s critical reception has proven deeply polarizing. According to ScreenRant, the movie marked Cruise’s first certified “rotten” feature and his lowest-rated project in nine years, sitting below the 60% threshold alongside the 2017 reboot of The Mummy. Review tallies have hovered in the low-to-mid 50s depending on the exact count, with figures cited at 52% based on 79 reviews, 53% based on 87 reviews, and 54% based on 69 reviews. The project also stands as Iñárritu’s lowest-rated directorial feature and his first to earn a rotten score.
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The division among critics is stark. While some praised the sheer ambition and energy of the project, others issued scathing indictments. The New York Post offered a zero-star assessment, writing that audiences would urgently want to leave after the first five minutes. Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian lambasted the feature as the most disappointing film of the year, describing it as an exasperatingly shallow, laborious, and self-congratulatory satire featuring talented actors delivering subpar performances. William Bibbiani of The Wrap wrote that the movie resembles what happens when the week’s worst Saturday Night Live sketch is given an inexplicably large budget and delusions of grandeur.
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Conversely, supporters championed the film’s audacity. Critics praised Cruise for taking the biggest risk of his career by satirizing men in charge with such viciousness. Reviewers frequently highlighted Cruise’s all-in performance and Riz Ahmed’s work as a scene stealer as major highlights, even within otherwise mixed or negative write-ups.
Box Office Projections and Theatrical Release
Digger is scheduled to open in theaters nationwide in the United States and the United Kingdom on October 2, 2026, following preview screenings on Thursday. The commercial stakes are high for Warner Bros. and Legendary, as the studio enters the release following a summer where its box office dropped 76%. Despite a hefty $125 million budget, box office tracking projects an opening debut of $19 million to $30 million. These estimates place it near American Made’s $16.8 million debut, potentially making it one of Cruise’s smallest opening weekends in nearly a decade as it faces off against the Colleen Hoover adaptation Verity.
Audience scores and the Popcornmeter on Rotten Tomatoes are set to go live when the movie officially opens in theaters on Friday. Warner Bros. has responded to the early critical divide by releasing a new television spot encouraging fans to decide for themselves.