Tom Cruise’s new movie <em>Digger</em>, directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, presents itself as a straightforward apocalyptic thriller, but the trailers deliberately conceal significant plot twists that are more engaging than the marketed version. Despite these withheld elements, the film offers a substantial amount to discuss as an overwhelming, ambitious dark comedy.
On the surface, the narrative follows Digger Rockwell (Cruise), an oil magnate whose actions inadvertently trigger a global catastrophe: a massive iceberg threatens Northern Europe. Digger then embarks on a mission, ostensibly to avert the disaster, exploring options from nuclear strikes to AI-driven information blackouts. However, confronted with the irrefutable reality of his culpability and the absence of easy solutions, Digger turns his focus from the impending iceberg to its potential victims.
The film transparently engages with themes of climate change and the precarious state of the planet’s future, suggesting it rests in the hands of a select few wealthy individuals with limited interest in environmental preservation if it impacts their profits. This exploration makes <em>Digger</em> humorous, though not always enjoyable. It’s a pitch-black comedy with a somber underlying message that might leave viewers unsettled, even if the undisclosed twists paradoxically dilute Iñárritu's central argument.
Cruise, stepping away from his typical action hero roles for the first time since 2017’s <em>American Made</em>, delivers a remarkable performance as Digger Rockwell. He embodies a blustering, boisterous persona reminiscent of his character Les Grossman from 2008’s <em>Tropic Thunder</em>, combined with the unhinged energy of a caricature like The Rich Texan from <em>The Simpsons</em>. Digger is portrayed as a man of immense power and self-confidence, believing he can talk his way out of any predicament.
Cruise excels in this role, delivering a series of captivating monologues aimed at dominating his audience, whether they are low-level scientists warning of climate disaster or the President of the United States. The actor fully commits to the character, even featuring a scene where his character's butt crack is visible and later demonstrating Digger’s evasiveness with a forceful speech about the appeal of fossil fuels while navigating a courtroom. John Goodman matches Cruise’s intensity as President Compton, a character inspired by Donald Trump. Compton’s specific political stance is secondary to the depiction of his cabinet as fawning sycophants, culminating in a prayer calling him an emissary of God, highlighting the film's focus on the President. Goodman’s performance, while not a direct imitation of Trump, skillfully matches Cruise’s bombast, creating a compelling contest of loudness and crudeness cloaked in authority, with Goodman ultimately holding his own.
Riz Ahmed joins Cruise and Goodman as Dr. Ganesh, a scientist overseeing safety at Digger's drilling operation. Ganesh serves as a foil to Digger, attempting to ground him in reality. A scene depicting the two on a private jet, where Digger provokes the vegan Ganesh into eating tuna, encapsulates the film’s core message: individual efforts to save the planet are rendered futile by the indifference of the powerful. As Ganesh unravels in the film’s latter half, his descent into absurdity, fueled by alcohol, rivals Cruise's performance.
While the film features a strong supporting cast including Sandra Hüller, Jesse Plemons, and Emma D’Arcy, the central trio carries the narrative. The film largely consists of these three men engaged in heated exchanges, offering a compelling display of vocal confrontation that stands out among contemporary cinema.
The production design by Dennis Gassner and Richard Johnson contributes significantly to the film's unique aesthetic. Locations are meticulously crafted to evoke both grandeur and an unsettling artificiality, blending the detailed precision of Wes Anderson with the inventive, makeshift quality of Michel Gondry. This deliberate unrealism enhances the film’s commentary on the manufactured nature of power and its detachment from reality.
From its narrative structure to its dialogue and visuals, <em>Digger</em> consistently directs attention to a bleak prognosis for the planet, attributing its dire state to the apathy of those in power. The film posits capitalism itself as the unyielding force, devoid of accountability or self-correction. It is notable that a film with such a critique is produced by a major Hollywood star, embodying the very system it scrutinizes.
<em>Digger</em> is unlikely to achieve conventional financial or critical success, which perhaps aligns with Iñárritu’s apparent rejection of such capitalist metrics. The film’s true substance, and the full extent of its provocative elements, will likely become clearer once its concealed plot points are openly discussed following its theatrical release on October 2nd.