Alejandro González Iñárritu’s mysterious new film Digger has sparked a sharply divided critical response following early screenings ahead of its October 2 release, drawing widespread praise for Tom Cruise’s lead performance alongside heavy debate over its narrative tone and ambitious satirical swings.
Polarizing First Reactions to Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Latest Feature
The first wave of reviews for Digger has revealed a deeply split critical landscape following recent screenings. The film, in which Cruise portrays an eccentric oil baron whose company sets off a world-altering crisis, has received a polarizing early response. The project is directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu and conceived with Sabina Berman and Jez Butterworth. While the picture has generated intense discussion, critics remain sharply divided over its execution, with mixed opinions on the director’s style and execution of his myriad ideas.
IndieWire’s David Ehrlich suggested the director wasn’t a good fit for the film’s comedic aspirations, opining, “Watching Alejandro González Iñárritu try to construct a joke is like watching Frank Gehry try to draw a straight line. However, his colleague Jim Hemphill was far more positive, and Courtney Howard said, #DiggerMovie RIPS! Iñárritu creates powder keg cinema, exploding in blistering heat & dazzling fireworks. A masterfully compelling, electric & audaciously assured satirical farce. Tom Cruise gives a brilliant, boldly invigorated, tour de force performance. Riz Ahmed, a standout! Simon Thompson added that the film is an audacious vision executed on a grand scale, but the pertinent sociopolitical satire is far from a home run. It wins most with its stellar ensemble cast, who are 100% committed, and its incredible set and sound design—a lavish, sometimes stodgy, eccentric curio. Jeff Ewing also weighed in, stating, #DiggerMovie is an ambitious, often surreal tour de force. The script is often funny but there’s a timely, rare undercurrent of anger in its satire. Tom Cruise is excellent and complex, and it will continually surprise you. It doesn’t always land, but when it hits, it’s brilliant.” On the other side of the debate, Joey Magidson described the film as a mess, noting that Cruise and Iñárritu are taking a massive swing.
Tom Cruise Leads an Ensemble Cast Amid High Expectations
At the center of the debate is Tom Cruise’s committed lead performance. Reviewers widely singled out his work as a primary anchor for the chaotic narrative. Having previously earned acting Oscar nominations for Born on the Fourth of July (1989), Jerry Maguire (1996), and Magnolia (1999), Cruise, 64, is hoping for his fourth acting Oscar nomination for Digger.
The supporting ensemble also drew substantial attention. Variety’s Jazz Tangcay called Riz Ahmed the MVP of the film, and added, The production design is beautifully done. Clayton Davis of Variety stated that the film is not what people are expecting, which means how audiences react may be the ultimate test of Tom Cruise’s star power. Davis further added, “I respect the swing and what Alejandro González Iñárritu is going for. Tom Cruise and John Goodman are delivering stellar work (Sophie Wilde might be best in show for me), and the production design and cinematography are impressive (we’ve missed you, Chivo). In the end, not all the dots connect, and I wish the film landed a bit more.” Technical credits—particularly cinematography by Emmanuel Lubezki (a.k.a. Chivo) and the production design—earned widespread praise from critics.
Digger not only showcases Tom Cruise’s best performance since Magnolia, it’s one of the most visually inventive, conceptually audacious, and unpredictable studio movies ever made. Takes so many bold aesthetic swings it makes Bardo look like an episode of The Golden Girls.
Managing Satire and Secrets Ahead of Release
Beneath its eccentric surface, the film features a megalomaniacal tycoon whose hunger for power causes a global catastrophe he struggles to contain. Rumours abounded that there was something else about the film being kept secret from viewers, and it turns out there is a twist that will make or break the film for many. Iñárritu himself asked critics who saw the film ahead of the release to remain tight-lipped on the film’s surprises.
The film is reminiscent of Adam McKay’s Vice—a form-playing biopic about Dick Cheney, starring Christian Bale—and Todd Phillips’s heavily maligned Joker follow-up, Joker: Folie à Deux, which dared to try something a little different from what people expected. However, it is worth noting that Digger is not a musical as many people had predicted. As viewers and critics continue to evaluate the picture, the upcoming theatrical release via Warner Bros. Pictures will test how general audiences respond to its unique brand of satirical farce.