Is Digger a Film Worth Watching? Our No Spoilers Guide to Iñárritu and Tom Cruise's Climate Satire
Iñárritu, Tom Cruise and a climate satire wasn't the combo we saw coming. Read our spoiler-free film guide to unpack Digger's deeper themes.
good.film
5 days ago
Share
Last night, we headed along to watch Digger, starring Tom Cruise. We know he isn't everyone’s cup of tea, but we’d seen the trailer of Cruise losing his shi*t in prosthetics and it piqued our interest.
Usually, we’ll write a deep dive into the film’s themes. But we’ve decided not to dive too deep into this film because, after watching it, we can honestly say that it’s best to enter without too many preconceptions! It’s a rollercoaster of a movie, with a big first act twist, and we don’t want to spoil the fun. But if you’re on the fence about seeing Digger, here’s some thoughts to take into the cinema, or at least use as talking points at drinks this weekend.
Who directed Digger (and why does it matter)?
One of the first things we noted about Digger is that it’s part of a bigger movie-making trend:
1) In 2025, beloved director Bong Joon Ho (Parasite, Okja) showcased his first big budget and star: Robert Pattinson in Mickey 17.
2) Not long after, beloved director Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights, Magnolia) showcased his first big budget and star: Leonardo DiCaprio in One Battle After Another.
3) Now, Digger is the latest from beloved director Alejandro González Iñárritu (Birdman, Babel) and, with Cruise in the lead, definitely fits the pattern.
Admittedly, Digger isn’t Iñárritu’s first taste of production dollars (that was The Revenant which nabbed him an Oscar for Best Director). But we’re honestly loving this trend of supporting creative weirdos (sorry not sorry) to make interesting, edgier films, by pairing them with household names.
Who does Tom Cruise play in Digger?
Can confirm: Cruise is enjoyably outrageous as the titular character, Digger, an oil tycoon whose billion-dollar plans are inconveniently jeopardized by his own environmental negligence. The resulting risk of global destruction and millions of human casualties are of secondary importance. If it sounds preachy: don’t worry. It is. On purpose. We won’t spoil the plot, but suffice to say that you’re not walking into a naive ‘save the planet’ plea. Instead, Digger is a layers-on-layers satire that is almost too self-aware.
What is the aesthetic of Digger?
The film is visually fascinating: think your-favourite-green-top-ran-in-the-wash colour palettes, mystical sets and weird camera angles. It's also got a great soundtrack: White Lotus vibes but with over-the-top, ominous ‘WHOMP’ orchestral moments that sound epic in a cinema. It’s highly stylised, and the plot lends itself to this in a totally unexpected way.
Who else is in the film?
The supporting cast of Digger is clearly having a lot of fun. Sandra Hüller (Project Hail Mary, Anatomy of a Fall) is entertainingly demented, Riz Ahmed unravels with surprising momentum, John Goodman (The Big Lebowski) shows the power of a big, flexible jaw, and Australia’s own Sophie Wilde (Talk to Me, Babygirl) is strung wire-taught. Cruise is in the spotlight, but this is an ensemble piece.
How will I feel after seeing Digger?
Some reviews have called Digger depressing. And in a world where billionaires are meeting behind closed doors (literally right now) to decide the fate of the planet, it really does hit close to home. Like its obvious climate cousin Don’t Look Up, Digger highlights the fallibility, selfishness and ignorance of people in power, and their willingness to put their business interests above all else.
Unlike Don’t Look Up, there aren’t many ‘good guys’ in Digger. Everyone is to blame, and Digger himself spins that narrative with gusto. A recurring theme in the film is the addictive power of a story: maybe we’re inherently a species who, when faced with death and destruction, grabs the popcorn. Iñárritu almost dares us: are we really just going to make another dark joke about our fate, walk out of the cinema, and carry on?
Probably.
Is that the empowering message we’re used to hearing? Absolutely not. But somehow, the ‘ah well, life goes on’ shrug that Iñárritu leaves us with felt… kind of galvanising? Leaving the cinema, we were struck by an urge to prove him wrong.
The thing is, Digger also leaves you second-guessing your take. Maybe it was about human resilience. Maybe it was about the power of art and comedy to unite us. Maybe it was about the complexity of family and legacy. Maybe it was saying that nothing is black and white. And that’s the most enjoyable part, in our opinion: being given the chance to unravel the message for yourself. So take a friend, book in a drink afterwards, and make the most of that.
Giving cult-favourite directors bigger budgets and bigger star power has let them take bigger swings, and Iñárritu has definitely gone in for one. Will Digger connect with bigger audiences? We’re not sure. But we’re excited to see cinema that’s ambitious, and worth talking about.
P.S. Want to see it cheaper in cinemas? Good Tix are our discount cinema vouchers that do good - you can get them for Hoyts, Event and Village cinemas. At checkout, you can choose which cause to contribute to, like reducing carbon emissions (take that, Iñárritu).
Pass… The popcorn? 🍿
The good.film team
