Digger (2026). Tom Cruise digs under himself, and Iñárritu digs deeper

Digger Rockwell (Tom Cruise) is the most powerful man in the world. An oil tycoon who lives in a lavish mansion, cares only about his old cat Maggie and believes the world owes him something. When his company drills in Greenland, an iceberg five times the size of Washington D.C. breaks off and slowly drifts toward Europe. Catastrophe is inevitable.

But Digger is not going to admit guilt. He decides to become the savior. The very man who caused the problem. Together with scientist Ganesh (Riz Ahmed), who is trying to get through to the authorities, and a deranged President Compson (John Goodman), he launches a machine of PR, lies and absurdity.

This is not a disaster movie. It is a satire about those who believe they can buy forgiveness. And about those who believe them.

What Works

Tom Cruise. He acts as if this is his last chance to prove something. Prosthetics, grey hair, extra weight, a nasty character — and it all works. The Telegraph calls it the most bonkers film of the year, and Cruise simply disappears into it. Empire notes the actor gives everything to the role, and it shows. Even if the film does not work for you, you will not forget Cruise's performance.

Riz Ahmed. He plays the quiet, exhausted scientist who is the only one in this madness telling the truth. While everyone shouts, he tries to do something. The Playlist calls him the film's true anchor. And that is true. Without him, the satire would have turned into a single continuous scream.

Ambition. Iñárritu is not afraid. He takes 180 million dollars, a star of Cruise's magnitude and makes something so strange that Warner Bros. had to release an ad with negative reviews to get people interested. That is bold. The BBC gives the film four stars and calls it limitlessly ambitious. Guillermo del Toro publicly defended the film, calling it daring and cinematically complex.

The ensemble. John Goodman as a president who shoots first and asks questions later. Sandra Hüller as Digger's sister, who mostly just shouts. Jesse Plemons, Michael Stuhlbarg. They all play caricatures, but they do it with such relish that it is fascinating to watch.

What Does Not Work

The critics are split. This is not just a marketing trick. Rotten Tomatoes shows 51-53% from critics. But among top critics, the score drops to 33%. The Times gave it one star and called it exhausting. The Guardian and The Independent gave it two each. Time called it aggressively unfunny. The Boston Globe gave it zero stars. TheWrap called it powerless, self-adulating claptrap. Variety writes the film is so full of itself that it cannot be funny.

Satire that shouts. The main problem critics point to is that the film wants to prove something more than it wants to entertain. Telegraph India writes it feels like a very expensive lecture delivered at maximum volume. Characters shout, speeches become increasingly extravagant, situations grow more ridiculous. But the comic rhythm is missing.

The metatext. Toward the end, the film takes a sharp turn meant to explain why everything was so caricatured. Euronews calls it a metatextual twist that will either save the film for you or destroy it completely. For some, it is genius. For others, it is self-indulgence.

What Critics Say and Ratings

The ratings are split down the middle. On Rotten Tomatoes — 51-53% from critics, but 71% from audiences. Metacritic gives 44-46/100 from critics, but 66/100 from users. IMDb holds 7.1-7.4/10. Letterboxd — 3.7/5. CinemaScore is unknown, but the box office speaks volumes: 8 million dollars in its opening weekend against a 180 million dollar budget. It is one of the biggest flops of the year.

My Verdict

6.5 out of 10

This is not a bad film. It is a film that is not for everyone. Iñárritu made a satire that shouts but does not always hit. Cruise gives it his all, Ahmed holds the emotional centre, and Goodman entertains. But between them there is a lot of noise that does not always turn into meaning.

If you love Birdman and Dr. Strangelove, this might work for you. If you were expecting a blockbuster with Cruise in the lead, rewatch Mission: Impossible instead. This is a film that will either grab you or exhaust you. There is no third option.