"Digger" (Iñárritu, 2026) - Review

Digger is ambitious, punchy and all-encompassing but at the same time it is sprawling, overstimulating and droning.

Written by Nandita Joshi

For better or for worse, Tom Cruise (Top Gun) is an actor whose name is on everyone's lips. Whether it's his intense passion for movies or his continuous glossing over of his personal life, we all have an opinion on him. The last twelve years have seen the commonly dubbed "Mr Movies" tackling big blockbuster, action-packed, thrill-seeking features like Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018) and Edge of Tomorrow (2014). Alejandro G. Iñárritu's eagerly anticipated new film Digger (2026) marks a return to dramatic acting for Cruise, and it definitely leaves audiences with even more to talk about. 

Digger Rockwell (Cruise) is a disgustingly wealthy businessman, dealing in the disastrously harmful oil industry. Business is booming until his environmental expert Ganesh (Riz Ahmed, Nightcrawler) informs him that his drilling has caused catastrophic ecological impact and chaos to ensue, involving calling in the President of the United States (John Goodman, The Big Lebowski) for damage control. The events that unfold thereafter spiral out of control.

From the getgo, you are launched into a not so unrealistic world, delving into societal, cultural and political discourse on our minds for the past decade. The story bursts at the seams with disconcerting yet necessary commentary on the repercussions of climate change, the relentless greed of consumerism and where the blame lies for it all. The weight of it all becomes a tall order to maintain, but it is a challenge that Iñárritu rises to. The grave reality of the narrative is what makes it wildly compelling to the audience, making the story itself the film's strongest force. 

However, the film's biggest strength can also be perceived as its biggest weakness. Putting aside the fact that it becomes tough to chew on everything that is offered and the meandering of sequences, the question we should be asking ourselves is how much of this stuff do we already know? Maybe we are tired of seeing filthy rich billionaires and corrupt government officials running amok because it hits too close to the society we exist within – which would explain the very visceral reaction some may experience to the film. Yet, at the same time, that is exactly the point. It dares to make its viewers uncomfortable, melancholic and provoked because that is the world we live in, as harsh as it may be. 

The abrasive and cut-throat nature does not stop there. Iñárritu alongside his co-writers Alexander Dinelaris (Birdman), Nicolás Giacobone and Sabina Berman spare no-one from their strong satire and immensely unsubtle narrative voice. Each scene is an aggressive slap in the face – whether it be the direct dialogue, the painfully obvious caricatured characters or the crude humour. The style is not for everyone, but when it works, it soars.

Speaking of soaring, Cruise puts on his cowboy boots, picks up that shovel and really digs into Digger Rockwell. His homecoming to the drama genre is a welcome one, but not really what you'd expect. Those of you, like myself, who were waiting for a Magnolia (1999) or A Few Good Men (1992) style performance will have to keep waiting, as this is his most divisive role since Vanilla Sky (2001) and Eyes Wide Shut (1999). Cruise lives and breathes Digger above all else through his physicality. His movement commands the screen no matter if he is sat down, stood still or delivering a powerful monologue. You cannot help but watch in awe as he demands your full attention whenever he is on screen.

Despite this, there is not enough exploration of Rockwell beyond the larger-than-life personality. The narrative would have benefited from more introspection to gain a semblance of humanity to cut through the doom-ridden atmosphere. 

Goodman and Ahmed were phenomenal, and dare I say scene-stealing, in their respective roles. President Compson's characterisation utterly wows you with Goodman's commitment to the sharp, witty pieces of dialogue and perfect line delivery. Down to his immaculate facial expressions, there is a reason why he is as esteemed of an actor as he is. The role of Ganesh is one you'd imagine having to bounce off Digger's, but Ahmed does not play it like that at all. Instead, he embraces the loudness of the film, gifting us with killer acting and excellent character development that go toe-to-toe with Cruise's leading performance.

The underutilisation of powerhouse actors Sandra Hüller (Anatomy of a Fall) and Emma D'Arcy (House of the Dragon) is criminal – one playing Digger's environmental company owning half-sister Emma and the other playing Digger's obedient assistant Lina. Noticeably, characters are served slithers of autonomy which reads as intentional. The two represent hope yet subordination, qualities their male counter-parts do not possess. Having said this, it still would have been nice to see Emma and Lina challenge Digger more.

There has been a lot of chatter about the twist in this movie. Without divulging into too much detail, the reveal was shocking and entertaining but we do not see it expanded upon in a meaningful way. Rather, it introduced even more commentary that bloats the narrative and is underdeveloped regardless of how interesting it may have been.

Aside from the star-studded performances, there is more to be said about the technical crew. Production designers Dennis Gassner (The Truman Show) and Richard L. Johnson arguably treat their work as a character of its own. It has a critical role in the unravelling of the twist, which is executed wondrously. In tandem, the entire 40+ make-up and hairstylists worked tirelessly and incredibly to completely transform the likes of Cruise and Goodman into their characters. You forget that they are as famous actors as they are when watching them in their prosthetics.

Often at this point of the review, the author may go on to say that this is a film that could, in a certain amount of years, be a cult classic or become less misunderstood but that is not what Digger wants you to do. It sends a clear message that, while art is a means of escapism, art cannot save us. No one can. That is Iñárritu's bleak, dreadful truth. A truth that we are perhaps too afraid to accept.

Digger is ambitious, punchy and all-encompassing, but at the same time it is sprawling, overstimulating and droning. A carte blanche middle finger to big studio executives who want to churn out legacy sequels, reboots and ignite IP-driven franchises. You may love it, you may hate it but regardless we should be overjoyed that a film like this exists. We may not have that level of guts laid out in cinemas for a while, at least from Warner Bros. So let's enjoy it whilst it lasts.

Digger is now playing in theatres.