Digger has somehow simultaneously accumulated a heavy amount of buzz, but also been shrouded in secrecy leading up to its release. The buzz part is to be expected as Tom Cruise takes a break from his barrage of action blockbusters and franchise revivals to make his foray back into artsy dramas along with writer/director Alejandro Iñárritu who has won multiple Oscars with his last few films. The tandem teaming up means anticipation for a campaign to finally get Cruise his statue is at a high, even if the marketing for the film has painstakingly avoided revealing much at all.
Digger finds Cruise portraying Digger Rockwell, a powerful oil businessman faced with an environmental disaster after his oil rig causes a methane explosion in Greenland. Working with the President (John Goodman) and his own climate scientist Dr. Ganesh (Riz Ahmed), Digger races to save humanity, but most importantly, his investment.
If ambition in film for the year 2026 could be visualized, Digger would be its representation. This film takes a big swing, seeking to satirize not just the pressing political issue of climate change, but also our society’s reaction to it, its perpetrators, and the complicity that everyone has in how things have developed. Digger Rockwell is an obvious caricature of the elite billionaire class whose obsession with bottom lines and commerce drive the oil consumption that degrade the environment and climate at the expense of everything and everyone else. His over the top manipulations and plotting is an obvious comedic sendup of the political influence of this class but also a critique of their hubris and selfishness. Cruise nails the character’s brashness, delivering one of the best performances of his career and completely transforming into a detestable avatar for modern greed and late-stage capitalism. This isn’t just a case of Oscar-winning makeup and styling, although Digger deserves such recognition, but everything from Cruise‘s voice to his gait is completely contrary to the way we typically see him both onscreen and off.
This description of the title character and the elements being satirized may sound like Digger sits comfortably on the side of a left-leaning critique of the usual “bad guys,” but the film takes aim at society as a whole and challenges even those who call out the bad actors affecting the climate. In a magnificent monologue scene that serves as the apex of Cruise’s performance, Digger calls out those that blame him and other oil barons for the plight of the world and the effect that fossil fuels have had on the planet. He points out that oil has served as the lifeblood for all the indulgences that modern society enjoys from Amazon Prime deliveries to social media to A.I., despite the supposed protestations of the populace against the fuel that makes these things possible. They may claim to hate the oil trade, but would they give up their comfort to go against it? And what of the role of entertainment?
Digger also takes aim at the way society engages with art as escape, even when escape may not be the best course of action. Avoiding spoilers as much as possible, about a quarter into the film, the audience learns the meta nature of what they’re watching and during its third act, we learn the meaning behind it; the catharsis it represents for the general populace in the face of what they’ve experienced. That the over the top story can be of momentary comfort is a display of a dichotomy that can vary for many, depending on their point of view. On the one hand, art can help human beings cope with their reality, but on the other, too much coping can morph into avoidance and denial. Digger acknowledges both and in a chilling reveal the runs through the end credits, it’s left to the audience to decide which the world inside of the film is partaking in.
Digger will draw comparisons to the legendary 1964 satire Dr. Strangelove, and for good reason. The dark comedy and absurd way that film critiques the Cold War and nuclear arms race is seen here, just directed toward climate change. It also has some of 2017’s Death of Stalin in it as well with its styling and comedic sensibilities being a mix of Iñárritu’s and Wes Anderson’s, which also obviously means it’s nice to look at visually. The all star ensemble is fantastic, led by Tom Cruise who is acting at the highest level we’ve ever seen him, completely convincing as the title character, standing out even more so after a reveal that comes a bit in the movie and is thus juxtaposed against his role as Digger Rockwell. Riz Ahmed stands out amongst the supporting cast as Dr. Ganesh, who attempts to be the voice of reason and explodes into being the voice of the audience by the end. He plays off of Cruise’s Digger well, creating a needed counterbalance to the character.
Digger is a film that’s trying to say a lot cleverly while hiding its true intentions for a large swath of its runtime, which is sure to frustrate many and make the film polarizing. It is a film however that leaves a lasting impression that people will feel strongly about, both good and bad. That will keep this film debated for a bit which could lead to future reevaluation and a constant reassessment of what it tried and how successful it was at it. That may not be the hallmark of a crowd pleasing, immediately successful film, but it is the sign of a potentially impactful one.
Image: Warner Bros.
