As the AI boom and extreme weather events make headlines with increasing frequency, climate change remains a prevalent and divisive topic in current events and political discourse. Either you believe in the science, or you’re an evil and idiotic drain upon humanity who hopes to siphon the Earth of its resources for your own profit, with the hopes that you’ll have died long before the worst of the consequences impacts the planet. I don’t make the rules.
The trailers for Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s latest film Digger confused the hell out of me. On the one hand, it appears to be a scathing critique of our environmental negligence, of older men entrenched in seats of power and influence, and of how the latter directly lead to the former. On the other hand, based on the trailer, the film seems to be (at least mockingly) positioning one of those out-of-touch, aged, white billionaires as the “hero” and saviour of humanity.
Before I actually saw the film, I recognized that it was a satirical comedy and thus inherently mocked its subjects. However, since I couldn’t seem to put the pieces together, I didn’t have much interest in seeing Digger, as much as I respect Iñárritu and loved his other works like Birdman and The Revenant. After seeing it, I must say I was wrong to doubt him. Mr. Iñárritu, please forgive me. I will never question you again.
As I write this review, it’s been about a week since I saw Digger, and it’s stuck in my brain ever since. In an effort to preserve that sort of reaction and respect the audience, the powers that be requested that I keep this review as spoiler-free as possible, and I agree with that request. It makes my job much more difficult not to discuss certain aspects of the film, but you’ll just have to trust me on this.
Digger is the story of Digger Rockwell (Tom Cruise), a third-generation oil magnate whose greed/negligence/callous indifference/hubris causes multiple planetary catastrophes. After the U.S. President, Compson (John Goodman), enlists his help, Digger scrambles to mitigate the damage caused by a runaway glacier and the media coverage that threatens his company.
Now all this can easily be gleaned from the trailer, and it doesn’t seem very engaging. Billionaires gonna billionaire, right? We see it every day on the news. But what makes Digger worth watching is what they’re not showing in the trailers and what narrative cards Warner Bros. is keeping close to the chest.
I hate it when trailers reveal too much about a film. Though I have some choice words for the company overall, I must commend Warner Bros. for practicing restraint and trusting the strength of the narrative enough not to spoil the biggest twists and narrative surprises. The story that’s shown in the trailer is only the tip of the iceberg. To call it a blend of Birdman and The Revenant would be selling the film short; it’s all that, and still more, uniquely its own thing. When the first big twist lands, following some idle chatter about butt cancer, you’ll know you’re in for a unique cinematic experience. From there, it slowly, deliberately, and with great punchiness reveals the full shape of its narrative. When the full scope of the world is revealed, it’s utterly devastating.
What I can say is that Digger presents a story that is relevant, poignant, sharp and urgent. Iñárritu’s team crafts moments of incredible tension and drama, scenes of exquisite and unexpected comedy, and a scale that is often operatic. The film builds a nightmare scenario run by cartoonishly inept villains that is terrifyingly close to the reality we live in. But behind the comedy lies a desperate, pessimistic indictment of our failing systems on a doomed planet. Yet behind all that, I can sense in Iñárritu and the other writers a feeble and fleeting hope that through watching films like Digger, people can be inspired and galvanized into action while there is still a chance to avert the worst of our possible futures.
On top of its delightfully weird and layered story, Digger‘s performances further bolster it. John Goodman is deranged and decrepit in a disturbingly reminiscent way of a certain world leader. Riz Ahmed, whom I have usually seen in roles that are much cooler, confident, and that exert much more power, shows his range here as the stuttering, timid and emotionally conflicted environmental expert Dr. Ganesh, who traded his morals for Digger’s cash and now has to grapple with his conscience as the world collapses around him. Sandra Hüller steals the show in her brief scenes as Digger’s half-sister, Emma Rockwell, a woman who postures as an environmental warrior with her clean-energy company but is also very much part of the greater machine. Jesse Plemons plays the enigmatic and off-puttingly enthusiastic Kenny, though I can’t say more without giving too much away.
All of these performances, though, feel like they’re in service of Tom Cruise’s role as Digger, which makes sense, as he is the title character. They serve each other. As Digger, Cruise provides a contextual base for the supporting cast while they elevate Cruise’s performance and ground it in Digger’s ruined world.
In general, I’ve found Cruise’s acting to be just okay. I appreciate his dedication to filmmaking and stunt work à la Mission: Impossible and Top Gun more than I do his acting, but with Digger, Cruise delivers masterful work. Digger has an unshakable self-importance and narcissistic confidence that really only someone of Cruise’s star calibre could muster. It’s almost hypnotic watching Digger continue to fail upward, and as much as I hated the character, I could absolutely see how he had charmed, swaggered and bullied his way through life. As important and impactful as the few scenes that cut away from Digger’s story are, I really just wanted to see more of Digger. This will make sense once you actually see the film and understand the twist. Cruise commands the audience’s attention and plays with it like he’s the soloist in an orchestra. Several times I actually forgot the bigger story and what movie I was watching. Digger may be killing the planet, but Cruise killed this role.
I could have written a much longer review for Digger. I’ve said as much as I can given the spoiler restraints, but trust me when I say it’s a movie to look out for. It’s not a film I particularly wanted to watch, but it won me over despite myself. I haven’t been surprised by a film like this since Parasite. I’ve seen several other movies since I screened Digger, but it’s the one that’s stuck in my head and that I can’t wait to see again.
The costuming, makeup and set design are fantastic. The writing and world-building are fresh, inventive, brave, original, and impactful. All the performances were sharp and nuanced, but Cruise especially deserves praise for a demanding and complex role. Its message is painfully funny because it’s true, and it hits like a gut punch. The narrative left turn it takes early in the film is so bizarre, but trust that in the end everything will be explained and make sense.
Go to the theatre and prepare to shovel down some popcorn. You’re gonna dig this one.
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