First reactions are coming in for the Tom Cruise-led and Alejandro Iñárritu-directed environmental-themed black comedy “Digger”, and they’re wild, varied and divisive, with almost all agreeing that it’s not what you expect.
The title was finally unveiled to the press the other day, with the social media embargo now lifted as tickets go on sale. Reviews, however, will not be forthcoming until next week.
There’s a lot of disagreement about the film’s tone – some thinking it’s too absurdist, others not enough. What is clear is that those who adore it think it deserves a lot of awards. Even those who don’t like the creative choices seem to admire the craft.
Here’s a sampling of the reactions:
“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.'” – Jim Hemphill, Indiewire
“#DiggerMovie RIPS! Iñárritu creates powder keg cinema, exploding in blistering heat & dazzling fireworks. A masterfully compelling, electric & audaciously assured satirical farce. Tom Cruise gives a brilliant, boldly invigorated, tour de force performance. Riz Ahmed, a standout!” – Courtney Howard, LA Film Critics
“A.G. Iñárritu’s Digger is a brave and gorgeous art film that will not score with mainstream audiences but will play best for the Academy, especially crafts and actors. But critics will divide on Cruise. The tour-de-force amphitheater scene might put him across. Riz Ahmed is fab.” – Anne Thompson, Indiewire
“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” – Matt Neglia, Next Best Picture
“Digger really is something else — a grand satire (or farce?) about our current predicament and where we go from here, full of barbed commentary and outlandish set pieces. It might not be for everybody but what Tom Cruise and Iñárritu have accomplished is odd and extraordinary” – Drew Taylor, The Wrap
“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” – Clayton Davis, Variety
“Digger is ambitious, messy and strange, but it is also a film that will be incredibly divisive and get people talking. It does what good art should do so even if it’s not a perfect film. After taking a few days to reflect on the film, it’s kind of hard not to like and respect the work that Iñárritu and the entire cast and crew have done” – Scott Menzel, Awards Buzz
“DIGGER is a very mixed bag. You’ll get what it’s saying, and the concept is interesting, but it doesn’t trust the audience enough not to hold its hand. Riz Ahmed is great. The Cruise performance is solid. Hard to do satire when the absurdity is so prominent in reality.” – Kristen Lopez, The LA Times
“Digger is a mess. Tom Cruise and Alejandro G. Iñárritu are taking a massive swing here, but despite some great production design and a commitment to their big choices, not a whole lot works here. Cruise is good and Riz Ahmed is a highlight, but man this wasn’t enjoyable.” – Joey Magidson, Awards Watch
“DIGGER is definitely not for everyone, but I loved it. The big twists are going to piss off a lot of people, but the payoff is worth it. The vibe is much more Kaufman than Kubrick. Cruise is great, but he’s the least interesting actor onscreen next to John Goodman and Riz Ahmed.” – Jacob Kleinman, Polygon
“DIGGER is an ambitious film sure to polarise audiences. Tom Cruise gives an INCREDIBLE performance filled with energy. The movie is a warning about climate change and the people in power who refuse to stop it. The stakes end up feeling much lower than they should, and you don’t really care about any of the characters. Everything’s cranked up to an 11, and it gets tiring after a while.” – Jonathan Sim, Coming Soon
Despite Cruise being on a press blitz for the film, estimates for its opening have seemingly gone down with Puck’s Matt Belloni indicating the projected domestic opening weekend numbers have been revised downward from $20 million to $19 million. Whether the reactions can reverse that, we’ll have to wait and see.
“Digger” is set to open in cinemas next Friday.
