Digger Review

“Whatever you think Digger is, you’re probably wrong.” I genuinely think Digger is going to be one of the most polarising films of the year. Some people are going to completely buy into what it’s doing, while others are going to absolutely hate it.

And honestly, I understand both reactions. The difficult thing about reviewing Digger is that almost everything I really want to talk about would spoil what makes the film so interesting. The trailers deliberately don’t give you the full picture, and I think audiences are better off experiencing it that way.

What I can say is this: do not walk into Digger thinking you know exactly what kind of movie you’re about to watch. There’s a point where the film takes an enormous swing that completely changed how I looked at everything I’d been watching. I knew there had to be more to it, but I genuinely wasn’t expecting where it went. For me, that was when the film really clicked.

At its core, Digger is a very dark, very absurd satire with some pretty clear commentary on the world we’re living in and where we could potentially be heading. At times, that commentary can get a little lost amongst just how ridiculous everything becomes, but I also think that absurdity is part of its charm.

The humour will probably be another dividing point. I found it genuinely funny, but it’s a very particular kind of comedy and I can already see some audiences feeling like the jokes don’t land. What I don’t think anyone will be arguing about are the performances.

Tom Cruise is fantastic. This is such a different side of Cruise from the one we’ve become accustomed to seeing. Forget the effortlessly cool action hero from Mission: Impossible. There are moments here where he’s ridiculous, hilarious and almost unrecognisable in the way he carries himself, before turning around and delivering some genuinely incredible dramatic work.

It actually reminded me of what made his performance in Tropic Thunder so memorable. He seems completely willing to throw away the Tom Cruise persona and just become this bizarre character. There are several monologues in this film where he is seriously impressive, and I would be very surprised if his performance isn’t part of the awards conversation.

The supporting cast is just as committed. Jesse Plemons is brilliant, Sophie Wilde is fantastic, and it was so good seeing John Goodman in something like this again. Regardless of whether the movie itself works for you, the performances are outstanding.

It also looks gorgeous. Shot on 35mm film, there’s a beautiful texture to the cinematography, and I loved the deliberately dull, muted colour palette. It gives the whole movie a very particular aesthetic rather than feeling like something that’s simply been desaturated in post.

My biggest criticism is the pacing. At just over two hours, Digger feels longer than it needs to be. There are sections that drag and certain story elements that I don’t think add enough to justify the time spent on them. A tighter 90-to-100-minute version could have been considerably sharper.

But despite those problems, I haven't really stopped thinking about it. And I think that’s ultimately what Digger has going for it. Whether you love it or hate it, I suspect people are going to walk out wanting to talk about what they just watched.

This is one I’d recommend seeing in cinemas while you can. Go in knowing as little as possible, forget whatever movie you think the trailers have sold you, and just let it unfold. Because Digger is weird, ambitious, funny, messy and completely unexpected.