‘Digger’ (2026) Review

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As the resident Tom Cruise stan at ScreenAge Wasteland, I was destined to be tapped for Digger review duties. I take my role seriously, so I gladly sit here before you in an attempt to make sense of the latest outing from the prince of movies.

I’ve been waiting for this movie for years. Not Digger specifically, but for this moment in Cruise’s career. The recent run of the Mission: Impossible series and his triumphant return as Maverick in the Top Gun sequel have been great as solidifying Cruise as the last great action movie star. Someone capable of stunning stunt work into his mid 60’s. We all knew he couldn’t keep this up for much longer; even Tom himself knew it.

So after finally saying goodbye to Ethan Hunt in last year’s Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, it was clearly time for a pivot in Cruise’s career. He spent much of his early career working with some of the best names in Hollywood – Coppola, Scott, Scorsese, the other Scott, Stone, and several others. Much of his best work is as the creative muse for the great visionary directors of our time. It was only a matter of time before he went back to that template.

And Digger appears to be the return to Cruise giving his talents over to bold auteurs with singular vision. Before “digging” into the auteur, I want to give my favorite actor his due flowers. Cruise’s commitment to the craft of entertaining always shines through. Lately it’s been in the form of action spectacle; hanging off the side of planes, scaling tall buildings, jumping off cliffs, and the like. Here in Digger, it’s in the form of embodying the Digger Rockwell character.

We’re quickly reminded of his acting chops. Cruise has that peculiar movie star quality of simultaneously retaining his real-life persona while disappearing into a particular role. The heavy makeup required for the role contributes to the disappearing aspect, but you can still recognize the distinct Cruise-ness of Cruise within the movie. Regardless, it’s some of the most inspired acting that he ‘s done in years.

Although Digger is far from an action flick, there is a moment that is reminiscent of Cruise’s “big stunt” appeal of the Mission: Impossible films. About halfway through Digger, Cruise delivers an impassioned monologue that fully showcases his abilities as a performer. It’s the film’s big moment, and proves to excite about as much as any action set piece that Cruise has been involved in.

Despite Cruise’s brilliance, and some other noteworthy performances (Riz Ahmed, John Goodman, Sandra Hüller, and Jesse Plemmons all deliver as they typically do in supporting roles), the film itself is rather lackluster. The response has proved to be fairly divisive amongst critics and fans alike. Apparently, this is a love it or hate it film, which somehow leaves my rather indifferent response to it as something of a hot take.

I write this almost a full week after seeing the movie. Partially because I had no idea of what to actually write about the movie. However, after days of self-deliberation, I’ve come to the conclusion that I have no conclusive takeaway from Digger. There’s nothing definitive that I’m latching onto.

It’s been referred to as a big swing that doesn’t quite land. I’ve seen bigger swings. I’ve been more baffled by a bold artistic vision. This one is sort of just there…

Alejandro Iñárritu’s direction and story are not without intention, a desired message, or a clear voice. But just because those things are present, it doesn’t mean that the film is worthy of deeper examination as a text. Surely, some audience members will connect with the film’s overall thesis and scour over rewatches to find moments supporting their readings. And that’s great for them! I happened to see little beyond Cruise’s performance that drew me into whatever the hell was going on here.

I’m finding lately that the ability to connect with a movie on a gut level first and foremost is far more significant than connecting on some kind of intellectual level. The intellectual is certainly important, but the art needs to evoke more than a potential think piece. Digger is for the think pieces, not for the love of the game. At least on Iñárritu’s part. Cruise is here for the love of the game.

And because of that love, my sincerest hope is that Cruise finds himself in more projects like this (maybe just better ones). I don’t want him to necessarily chase Oscars, but when he challenges himself as an actor he blesses us with some of the best performances we’ve seen as film fans. He has incredibly discerning taste, and an obvious appreciation for film as an artform. He can spot worthwhile talent to work with and projects to work on.

He can ignore the lukewarm response Digger may have received (myself included) and trust his gut that this was the right movie for him to make right now in his career. Rather than retreating to the familiar world of recognizable IP like Top Gun or Days of Thunder, he can continue to find projects that speak to him deeply. Maybe I’ll respond to them more positively than I responded to Digger. But that’s neither here nor there. I admire the intent even if I don’t care for the content.