DIGGER First Reactions Are Wildly Divided Over Tom Cruise’s “Baffling,” “Unpleasant,” "Brave and Gorgeous" New Movie
Tom Cruise is taking a sharp turn away from death-defying action with Digger, and judging by the first reactions, audiences are in for one seriously strange movie.
The new satirical black comedy from Alejandro González Iñárritu, the Oscar-winning director of Birdman and The Revenant, has screened for members of the press, and the responses are all over the place.
Critics are calling it everything from “unpleasant” and a “mess” to a “brave and gorgeous art film.” Whatever Digger turns out to be, it certainly doesn't sound predictable.
Cruise stars as Digger Rockwell, a wealthy tycoon forced to save the world after one of his oil rigs malfunctions and triggers an environmental catastrophe across the planet. The cast also includes Riz Ahmed, John Goodman, Sandra Hüller, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Jesse Plemons.
IndieWire critic Jim Hemphill came away very impressed, particularly by Cruise's performance and Iñárritu's visual approach “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.”
IndieWire's Anne Thompson was similarly positive, although she doesn't expect the movie to connect with everyone, calling it “a brave and gorgeous art film that will not score with mainstream audiences but will play best for the Academy, especially crafts and actors.”
That reaction couldn't be much further from Awards Radar's Joey Magidson, who described the film as a “mess,” saying that “not a whole lot works here” and “this wasn’t enjoyable.”
Critic Edward Douglas also struggled with the movie and expects general audiences could have an even rougher response: “I cannot say that ‘Digger’ is very good, although I could tell what Iñarritu and Cruise were going for… I expect a HORRENDOUS CinemaScore.”
Journalist Mike Ryan kept his assessment even simpler, calling Digger “unpleasant.” Then there's Next Best Picture founder Matt Neglia, who praised Cruise while finding Iñárritu's approach less successful:
“This is Tom Cruise’s most dynamic and interesting role in years. It provides him plenty of space to preach to the back row but not enough to dig deeper and deliver a performance that could’ve had far more power and nuance had Alejandro González Iñárritu’s ambitious narrative not been so imbalanced in favor of its zany but empty theatrics.”
Variety's Clayton Davis also found plenty to admire, particularly Cruise, Goodman, and the technical work, but felt the movie doesn't completely come together:
“I respect the swing and what Alejandro González Iñárritu is going for. Tom Cruise and John Goodman are delivering stellar work, and the production design and cinematography are impressive.
“In the end, not all the dots connect, and I wish the film leaned harder into the absurdity and satire it kept reaching for. Shocker! The divide on this one is going to be wide.”
That divide actually makes me more interested in seeing Digger. A Tom Cruise movie getting reactions this wildly different is much more intriguing than everyone walking out saying basically the same thing. Some critics seem fascinated by what Iñárritu has made, while others clearly had a miserable time with it. Now I want to see which side I land on.
The movie is also a major change of pace for Cruise. After spending much of the past decade throwing himself into huge action productions, Digger brings him back to an adult-oriented dramatic and comedic role.
That made his collaboration with Iñárritu particularly interesting from the moment it was announced, especially with awards watchers wondering whether the role could put Cruise back into the Oscar conversation.
These first reactions complicate that conversation. Cruise's performance appears to be earning some strong praise even from critics who have issues with the movie itself, while the film's divisive nature could make its awards run difficult to predict.
Personally, I'm looking forward to this one. Cruise working with a filmmaker like Iñárritu on a strange, ambitious black comedy already had my attention, and these completely scattered reactions have only made me more curious. Digger might be fascinating, frustrating, hilarious, miserable, or some weird combination of all four.
We'll find out when Digger opens in theaters October 1 from Warner Bros.