TL;DR
Digger is a high-tempo film directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu about a powerful man attempting to save humanity from a catastrophe he caused. It features fantastic performances from Tom Cruise and Riz Ahmed, clever details, and elegantly tied narrative threads. However, it runs too long by at least fifteen minutes and occasionally feels loud, annoying, and farce-like. It suits viewers who enjoy multi-layered, fast-paced cinema, while anyone seeking standard fare should skip it.
I love movies that stir up emotions and are both hated and loved. Now we have Digger, which has nearly split the critics like Moses at the Red Sea. Here, Tom Cruise has been made up to look like a man in his mid-sixties—so, one year older than he actually is. Chew on that, those of you who feel old! The film has been called everything from genius to low-brow farce. Hynek Pallas gave it a perfect score in Göteborg-Posten, while Kerstin Gezelius gave it a zero (!) in DN and called it a fossilized slapstick comedy. With the benefit of hindsight, I might think both are perhaps a bit extreme, but I find it much easier to relate to Pallas’s rating. Oops. Was that a little spoiler? Not necessarily. But let’s start with the plot.
The world’s most powerful man sets out on a desperate mission to prove he is humanity’s savior before the catastrophe he himself unleashed destroys everything. Short and concise. And you really don’t want to reveal more than that. Alejandro G. Iñárritu is in the director’s chair. I have seen all his feature films except Bardo from 2022. He had his big breakthrough with Amores Perros in 2000, a film I don’t remember much of now, maybe twenty years after I saw it. 21 Grams was very special, as was Babel. I remember having high hopes for The Revenant, which looked very good in advance, but I ultimately found it quite tedious. Maybe it’s worth another chance? On the other hand, I absolutely loved Birdman, with Michael Keaton in one of his best roles. I hoped somewhere that Digger would fall closer to that category.
The cast is full of great names. Tom Cruise in the lead role as Rockwell “Digger”. I’ve always liked Cruise, but it’s rare that he gets roles where he really gets to let loose, and here he truly goes bananas. It’s fantastic to see. He plays Digger so damn well—and does it feel a bit like a farce warning at first? Bear with me. You’ll get it. His absolute best performance until now is in Magnolia, where he plays the toxic dating guru Frank T.J. Mackey (“Respect the cock, and tame the cunt!”), which, by the way, is one of my favorite movies. I remember being completely floored after mostly seeing him in various action roles. But now he owns the screen as Rockwell. And he floors you on a whole new level. More on that later. Beside him, he has veterans like John Goodman, who is also phenomenal, Sandra Hüller, who delivered one of the most emotional scenes in the fantastic Project Hail Mary, Michael Stuhlbarg, Jesse Plemons, Robert John Burke, Sophie Wilde and Burn Gorman. But of all the sidekicks, Riz Ahmed is the one who stands out the most. I’ve always loved his performances (haven’t seen Sound of Metal? Just do it!) and here, as Dr. Ganesh, who has the very thankless job of environmental safety officer at Rockwell’s company, he also gives perhaps the best performance of his life so far. The tantrum Ganesh has during a conversation with Rockwell on his private jet gave me chills.
But back to Cruise. A charismatic devil who, at sixty-four years old, still does his own stunts. He plays Digger with such genuine love that it’s impossible to resist. Every line, every little movement and facial expression. Everything hits the mark. And when you get into the film and understand (not spoiling more than that), it reaches a whole new level. Yes. Ignore what the dry-as-dust reviewers who don’t understand Digger say; he deserves an Oscar for this role, no doubt. Rockwell also has an unexpected sidekick in the form of Maggie, a half-rotten cat that should have been dead long ago. It’s a pretty fun gimmick. I am definitely not a cat person (but a fairly nice person anyway, believe it or not), but even I feel sorry for this poor creature.
I want to tell you so much about Digger, mostly so that people understand it and give it a chance. But at the same time, I don’t want to. The intention is for people to go in and see it without having parts of the story spoiled, and I understand that the film company was quite clear about that with those who saw the preview. For good reason. There are so many dimensions to explore. So many details that stand out. I’m not entirely sold on it at first. It takes quite a while before I start to understand it. Sometimes it’s hilarious, sometimes it’s quite loud and a bit annoying. Initially, I also thought, like DN-Kerstin, that it leaned a bit too much towards farce, but once you understand, it actually makes me wonder if she even finished the movie. Because if she had, the rating should reasonably have been different—even if it must be said that Digger is not for everyone. The tempo is high all the time; it’s packed, truly packed, with moments where you sit there thinking “What the hell?”. And then comes that twist, and at first, you understand even less. I’m sitting there thinking about different metaphors and what the film wants to say, and in the end, my thoughts are proven right. There are threads thrown out and woven together really nicely at the end. Damn, I hate-love reviewing a film where you can’t reveal more. That said, it’s once again fully understandable that not everyone can embrace this.
There are so many clever details here. Digger is, to start with, a very good-looking production. Stripped down, yet not. Many major scenes take place in small spaces—offices, conference rooms, in airplanes. But it still feels bigger somehow. It has a gray Roy Andersson-filter over it, which is also reflected in much of the subtlety. You can also see clear traces of Terry Gilliam at his best—very much Brazil. The scene that stands out the most is when Rockwell stands before a congress and begins by admitting his guilt in what has happened (no spoilers, but as another reviewer mentioned, even a view of Stockholm flashes by at one point, another fun detail). He is booed, mocked—and the speech transitions to being about the environment and our rather world-detached way of living. Some have pointed out that this speech becomes a bit too obvious, like the film’s message itself. I don’t agree. I think it’s life-affirming and fine. And sometimes there’s nothing wrong with saying exactly what you think. One reviewer also pointed out that the subjects discussed here make it feel as if the film is arriving ten years too late. I don’t agree. And at the same time, I think that it could possibly be because it’s an idea that has been worked on for a long time. Enough about that. Back to this damn scene. It is phenomenal. Here we have Tom Cruise in his element. As if he has been saving energy and biding his time throughout his entire acting career to give it everything he’s got in this very scene. I could throw out many more superlatives, but you will understand.
In summary. Again. I wish it were possible to reveal more about the content, the twists, and how damn elegantly Iñárritu and his co-writers tie all the threads together in the script and make something beautiful and understandable out of what might initially feel like a large, unmanageable pile of pick-up sticks thrown on the floor. The individual scenes that give you goosebumps. The funny Gilliamsque and Andersson-esque details. The actors who go all out and deliver. The final scene, which is both beautiful and dark at the same time. There is an immense amount to like here, and even if I don’t outright love it in the end, I will carry it with me in my thoughts for a long time. And I will likely rewatch it, something I don’t do excessively often. Because there are dimensions to explore here, and you’re guaranteed to see it with different eyes. One of the things that brings the rating down slightly is that Digger is too long, which I often point out. It would have benefited from being cut by at least fifteen minutes to maintain momentum, because I lost focus occasionally in a couple of places. I must also draw a parallel to Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds. I remember being a bit disappointed after seeing it in the cinema because the trailer had sold it as being significantly more action-oriented. I rewatched it a year later and was completely captivated. In hindsight, it is now if not in my top ten, then at least in the top fifteen of my absolute favorites. I’m not saying that Digger will make a similar journey. But who knows? Regardless, I think you should go in with an open mind and give it a chance.
Review Highlights: Q&A
What is Digger about?
Digger follows the world's most powerful man on a desperate mission to prove he is humanity's savior before a catastrophe he unleashed destroys everything.
How are the lead performances?
Tom Cruise excels as Rockwell "Digger" with genuine energy and precision. Riz Ahmed also delivers an outstanding standout performance as Dr. Ganesh.
What is the pacing and runtime like?
The tempo is consistently high and packed with confusing twists. However, the film runs too long and would benefit from being cut by at least fifteen minutes.
What visual style does the film use?
The film features a gray Roy Andersson-style filter with subtle visual details and clear stylistic traces reminiscent of Terry Gilliam's Brazil.
