DIGGER Review – Tom Cruise commits fully to Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s ambitious satirical black comedy, but its play-within-a-film structure left me confused, rarely amused and overwhelmingly bored.
TV Central attended a complimentary preview screening. No payment was received for this review.
Digger follows the most powerful man in the world as he races to convince humanity that he can save it from the very disaster he has unleashed. That sounds like the foundation for a sharp, accessible satire. What arrives on screen is something far more elaborate.
Tom Cruise leads an impressive ensemble that includes Riz Ahmed, John Goodman, Sandra Hüller, Michael Stuhlbarg, Jesse Plemons, Robert John Burke, Emma D’Arcy, Burn Gorman and Sophie Wilde. The film was shot entirely in VistaVision by cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki.
A Story Buried Beneath Too Many Layers
I will be honest: I did not understand Digger for much of its running time.
If the movie had simply told Digger’s story, I could have followed it. Instead, as I understood the film, Cruise is not only playing Digger for us. He is also a performer playing Digger inside a theatrical production within the movie.
Sets suddenly change. Cruise walks between constructed environments. Clouds are revealed as fake, and the machinery behind the spectacle becomes part of what we are watching. At first, those moments appeared random. Only later did I realise that the artificiality was deliberate because we were watching a play being staged inside the film.
The idea becomes even more layered when the audience watching that play is shown to be living in the era created by the consequences of Digger’s actions. When they leave the theatre, they put on masks and step into that changed world.
That makes Digger feel like a movie about a play about a story whose consequences continue into the world of the play’s audience. It is a movie within a movie within a movie, and for me, the concept became an obstacle rather than an effective storytelling device.
Some viewers will undoubtedly connect with that complexity and argue that the shifting realities are the entire point. I can only review the experience I had, and I found it unnecessarily confusing. A more direct film about Digger, his decisions and the disaster he caused could have delivered the same ideas with far greater impact.
Tom Cruise Commits, But The Comedy Rarely Lands
There are elements of Cruise’s performance worth acknowledging. The prosthetic makeup that transforms him into an older man is fascinating, and his long monologues demonstrate the control and commitment that have defined his career. Even when the film lost me, Cruise never appeared less than completely invested.
The problem is that the performance sits inside a movie that gave me very little to hold on to. Digger is presented as a satirical black comedy, but I laughed or lightly chuckled only three or four times. For a film built around satire, it simply was not very funny.
The lack of laughs might have mattered less if the dramatic or emotional material had been gripping. Unfortunately, it was not. The film felt slow, distant and hugely boring. Beyond Cruise’s makeup and monologues, nothing stood out to me as a reason to recommend it.
I went in after seeing a trailer that did not look particularly strong and expected the finished film might still reach a five out of ten. It was worse than I anticipated. I genuinely wish I could give it more, but I cannot.
The TV Central Verdict
Aaron: 2/10
“Tom Cruise commits to the transformation, but Digger buries its story beneath confusing layers, scarce laughs and relentless boredom.”
Zak: 3/10
“The trailer looked like a one-out-of-ten movie; the film was slightly better than the trailer, but only just.”
Digger Official Synopsis
The most powerful man in the world embarks on a frantic mission to prove that he is humanity’s saviour before the disaster he unleashed destroys everything.
Digger Movie Details
- Title: Digger
- Australian release date: In cinemas 1 October 2026
- Director: Alejandro G. Iñárritu
- Screenplay: Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Alexander Dinelaris, Nicolás Giacobone and Sabina Berman
- Story: Alejandro G. Iñárritu and Sabina Berman
- Cast: Tom Cruise, Riz Ahmed, John Goodman, Sandra Hüller, Michael Stuhlbarg, Jesse Plemons, Robert John Burke, Emma D’Arcy, Burn Gorman and Sophie Wilde
- Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki
- Music: Cosmo Sheldrake
- Studios: Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures
- Australian distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Watch The Digger Final Trailer
Read TV Central’s earlier coverage of the Digger final trailer and the film’s world premiere in London.
Digger At The Backlot Perth
The preview screening was held at The Backlot Perth in East Perth. I have attended screenings there before, and there have previously been issues, including problems with sound. On this occasion, the venue itself did not feel suited to a high-demand preview for a major Tom Cruise release.
At smaller screenings with around ten guests, the boutique auditorium can work because there is room to spread out. This screening was full, which left us in the front row. In such a small theatre, sitting that close to the screen made the film difficult and uncomfortable on the eyes.
There was also a strange moment just before the movie began. With about three minutes to go, Zak asked for a hot chocolate. He was told the film had to be started and that he could come back out five or ten minutes into the screening, order it and then carry it into the auditorium. Asking a guest to miss part of the movie to buy a drink seemed bizarre.
Security Measures Did Not Match The Entry Process
Guests were required to seal their phones in bags, with two security staff present. I understand why distributors protect preview screenings, particularly before an embargo lifts. However, this is a very small boutique theatre, and both security guards remained inside the auditorium where any attempt to record the screen would have been obvious.
Phones are also an important point of contact in 2026. People may need to check on children or receive an urgent message. With active security already watching such a small room, requiring every phone to be sealed away felt excessive.
The strict phone policy contrasted sharply with the entry process. I was not asked for my name, publication or invitation. There appeared to be no guest-list check at all, meaning someone could potentially have walked in from the street or brought several extra people without being noticed.
The Backlot Perth can be a good option for a private function where a group of ten or twenty friends wants an intimate cinema experience. Based on this screening, however, it is not an ideal venue for a full industry preview of a major release.
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