Famously starring Tom Cruise under a mountain of makeup as a Texas oil tycoon who unleashes a disaster, Digger is the kind of satire we haven’t seen since, maybe, Don’t Look Down (2021). Riz Ahmed, John Goodman, Sandra Hüller, Michael Stuhlbarg and Jesse Plemons also star in this dark comedy — although, really, “parable” may be the better word.
The question is: Will you dig Digger?
Digger is the kind of film you can barely review without ruining it. Its parlor trick — and much of its appeal — depends on what the audience discovers along the way. That creates a problem for a reviewer: How do you warn someone away from a movie they might hate while also telling the right person that they absolutely need to see it?
So, without spoiling anything, I'll try to help you decide whether Digger is an A or an F for you.
In other words: Will you dig Digger?
If you’ve enjoyed the films of Alejandro G. Iñárritu — Birdman, Babel, Biutiful — you’ll surely dig this, too.
If you loved Iñárritu’s The Revenant, then you’re capable of liking just about anything. You’ll dig Digger.
If Risky Business, Top Gun, Cocktail or Days of Thunder is your favorite Tom Cruise movie, you probably won’t dig Digger.
If Magnolia is one of your five favorite Cruise films, you’ll probably appreciate his over-the-top performance here as well.
If you think Dr. Strangelove and Citizen Kane belong in the top 50 films ever made — you’ll dig Digger.
If you believe the climate crisis is fake news, skip Digger.
If you can follow the dialogue in His Girl Friday, you’ll be able to keep up with Digger.
And if you’re intrigued by Iñárritu’s description of the film — “This film is a disaster movie, but the disaster is us,” you’ll dig Digger.
The film unsurprisingly bombed at the box office. Some great films weren’t appreciated when they were released. I wish I could say more, but I suspect that, in time, once audiences discover it on television and warm to its story and its parable, Digger will move from the “failure” shelf to the “classic” shelf. I know which side I’m on.
In a nutshell: It’s the end of the world as we know it — in a fine satire that is as divisive as it is brilliant.
Where to watch it: In theaters now.
Would it be better with Olivia Colman? Of course. But not by much. It already has Sandra Hüller, and her talents are barely uitlized.
Awards potential: Time will tell, but it’s a contender for Best Picture, Director, Cinematography, Actor and Screenplay — and it will be the film to beat for Production Design. If there's a most-acting award, oh yeah, The Golden Globes, Cruise will take it.
The Ten Buck Review: Worth ten bucks.
