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Credit: Warner Bros.The first reactions to Tom Cruise‘s new movie Digger are in, and critics definitely don’t agree on this one!
The 64-year-old actor stars in the new dark comedy from Oscar-winning director Alejandro González Iñárritu, marking Tom‘s first non-action starring role in nearly a decade.
The movie follows Digger Rockwell, “the most powerful man in the world,” who embarks on “a frantic mission to prove he is humanity’s savior before the disaster he’s unleashed destroys everything.”
Riz Ahmed, Sandra Hüller, John Goodman, Michael Stuhlbarg, Jesse Plemons, Sophie Wilde and Emma D’Arcy also star.
Following early press screenings and the movie’s London premiere on Tuesday (September 22), the social media embargo lifted and the first reactions began pouring in.
What Are Critics Saying About Digger?
There’s no clear consensus yet, as critics are sharply divided.
While some critics are calling Digger one of the boldest movies of the year and praising Tom for taking a major risk, others are describing the movie as messy, self-indulgent or simply not very funny. One thing that comes up repeatedly, however, is that audiences apparently aren’t getting the full story from the trailers.
Critic Jake Hamilton went big with his praise, calling Digger his “favorite film of ’26” and comparing elements of the movie to Stanley Kubrick and Black Mirror. He also ranked Tom‘s work among the best performances of his career.
Carla Renata, aka The Curvy Critic, was similarly enthusiastic, praising the movie’s commentary on billionaires and power and describing Tom‘s performance as one of the bravest of his career.
Fandango‘s Erik Davis warned that the movie is a “big swing” that won’t work for everyone, but singled out both Tom and Riz for praise. He described Tom‘s performance as one of the most unpredictable of his career.
Film critic Tomris Laffly said she hadn’t realized beforehand that Alejandro was essentially making his own Dr. Strangelove, adding that the movie eventually becomes something else entirely. She praised Tom and the film’s “audacious existential strangeness.”
Not everyone was sold.
IndieWire‘s Ryan Lattanzio called the movie a “self-indulgent miscalculation from end to end.”
Edward Douglas said he couldn’t call Digger “very good,” though he felt a major late-film reveal almost justified some of the movie’s craziness. He also predicted that the movie could have a “HORRENDOUS CinemaScore.”
Joey Magidson was similarly negative about the overall movie, calling it “a mess,” but still praised Tom and singled out Riz as a highlight.
Meanwhile, The Oscar Expert praised the movie as a timely examination of powerful and wealthy people manipulating public narratives, while acknowledging that it’s “very goofy, though not particularly funny.”
The dramatically different responses seem to make one thing clear: Digger could be one of the year’s most divisive movies.
The movie hits theaters on October 2.
Check out even more of the first reactions below…
DIGGER is my favorite film of ‘26 — I avoided spoilers, so the surprises had an incredible impact.
A bit Kubrick, a bit BLACK MIRROR but also feels original — a surreal, weird, funny study on (human) nature and storytelling.@TomCruise’s performance ranks among his career best. pic.twitter.com/bOm4wlNroa
Alejandro Iñárritu’s #Digger is a big cinematic middle finger to any government anywhere making bold statements about billionaires, power and the status quo delivered and led by Tom Cruise in one of his craziest, bravest most magnificent career performances. It’s a stone gas… pic.twitter.com/iMBKXMZ7o1
— Carla Renata (@TheCurvyCritic) September 23, 2026Tom Cruise is extraordinary in #Digger, delivering one of the most unpredictable performances of his career. He swings from funny and chaotic to solemn, heartfelt and intensely anxious, sometimes within the same scene. It’s a demanding role that stretches Cruise in unexpected… pic.twitter.com/jyXlZZCsYe
— Erik Davis (@ErikDavis) September 23, 2026Didn't realize Iñárritu was pretty much making his own DR. STRANGELOVE w/ DIGGER, until—as signposted from the v first frame—it turns into something else that the BIRDMAN director knows how to navigate with panache. Loved Cruise, & the film's audacious existential strangeness.
— Tomris Laffly (@TomiLaffly) September 22, 2026DIGGER: The problem with continuing to make statements about your own art and reflect on your own legacy is that you'll eventually ruin both. A self-indulgent miscalculation from end to end.
— Ryan Lattanzio (@ryanlattanzio) September 22, 2026I cannot say that Digger is very good, although I could tell what Iñarritu and Cruise were going for. There is a major reveal (not a twist) towards the end that almost justifies the craziness… but it will be a tough movie to review, and I expect a HORRENDOUS CinemaScore.
— Edward Douglas (@EDouglasWW) September 22, 2026Digger is a mess. Tom Cruise and Alejandro G. Iñárritu are taking a massive swing here, but despite some great production design and a commitment to their big choices, not a whole lot works here. Cruise is good and Riz Ahmed is a highlight, but man this wasn’t enjoyable.#Digger pic.twitter.com/dCQEtDlSYG
— Joey Magidson (@JoeyMagidson) September 22, 2026DIGGER is a timely examination of powerful, wealthy narcissists manipulating the public narrative for their gain. It is very goofy, though not particularly funny, while also dissecting itself being this way. A satire about the role of satire. Fascinating stuff, (1/2)
— The Oscar Expert (@expert_oscar_2) September 22, 2026DIGGER: Alejandro González Iñárritu continues to take big swings and make bold choices as a writer and filmmaker. While this film certainly won’t work for everyone, I found the pairing of Iñárritu and Tom Cruise to be an engaging and one of a kind experience. Cruise really does… pic.twitter.com/1oOxHBGAJh
— Scott Menzel (@ScottDMenzel) September 22, 2026DIGGER is not at all what it seems on the surface. What begins as an over-the-top comedy of gigantic satirical proportions suddenly turns into a meta, somber commentary on the bleak state of the world we’re inevitably heading toward, our inability to stop it, and what we’ll… pic.twitter.com/AYTaRaGNYl
— Matt Neglia @NYFF (@NextBestPicture) September 22, 2026DIGGER isn't just one of the boldest major studio films in a bit; it's also one of the most abrasive. I?árritu's antagonism threatens to derail it, but the sheer exuberant charisma & integrity of Tom Cruise's performance sees it through. A subversively angry nail in WB's coffin. pic.twitter.com/lS0i4rTPZD
— Bill Bria (@billbria) September 22, 2026#Digger isn’t for everyone, but one thing undeniable: this is Tom Cruise’s bravest and riskiest performance in over 20 years. Digger Rockwell is manic and melancholy and the film has a lot to say about our future. It’s audacious, wild and one of Tom’s most memorable roles. pic.twitter.com/RqzpjdKLig
— Mark Daniell (@markhdaniell) September 22, 2026DIGGER is breathtaking. A movie that reminds us just how fucking good Tom Cruise is. The biggest of swings that makes for an absolutely incredible movie. pic.twitter.com/wK5wCQH4pe
— Rachel Leishman (@RachelLeishman) September 22, 2026A.G. Iñárritu's Digger is a brave and gorgeous art film that will not score with mainstream audiences but will play best for the Academy, especially crafts and actors. But critics will divide on Cruise. The tour-de-force amphitheater scene might put him across. Riz Ahmed is fab.
— Anne Thompson (@akstanwyck) September 22, 2026Tom Cruise brushed shoulders with royalty at the world premiere of the movie. Find out who attended!
Posted To:Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu Digger Emma D'Arcy Jesse Plemons John Goodman michael stuhlbarg Movies Reviews Riz Ahmed Sandra Huller Sophie Wilde Tom Cruise
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