Tom Cruise is teaming up with Academy Award-winning filmmaker Alejandro G. Iñárritu for his latest starring role in Digger.
The film — which co-stars John Goodman, Riz Ahmed, Sandra Hüller, Michael Stuhlbarg and Jesse Plemons — has the following synopsis:
The most powerful man in the world embarks on a frantic mission to prove he is humanity’s savior before the disaster he’s unleashed destroys everything.
No less than the immortal Steven Spielberg proclaimed that Cruise “saved Hollywood’s ass” with Top Gun: Maverick, but Digger is not evoking that level of praise. In fact, Warner Bros. has even gone so far as to lean into the less than enthusiastic response Digger has been receiving.
Decide for yourself. DIGGER – in theaters and IMAX FRIDAY. Tickets on sale now. https://t.co/Z1IpSpFnXd pic.twitter.com/e5ID4WUxbL
— Warner Bros. (@warnerbros) September 29, 2026
Here’s a look at how Digger is scoring on Rotten Tomatoes, IMDb, Metacritic, Letterboxd, and more.
Current Digger Ratings at a Glance
| Rating Source | Score |
|---|---|
| Rotten Tomatoes Critics | 52% |
| Rotten Tomatoes Audience | N/A |
| IMDb | 7.1/10 |
| Metacritic Critics | 45/100 |
| Metacritic Users | N/A |
| Letterboxd | 3.7/5 |
| CinemaScore | N/A |
Digger Average Rating Across Major Review Sites
After converting Rotten Tomatoes, IMDb, Metacritic, and Letterboxd scores to a 100-point scale, Digger currently holds an average rating of 60.5/100 across major review platforms.
The average rating was calculated by converting all available scores to a 100-point scale and averaging the results.
What the Reviews Say About Digger
The reviews for Digger indicate a swing-and-a-miss for Cruise, perhaps the last major motion picture star who can draw crowds on name value alone.
The most vitriol came from Odie Henderson of The Boston Globe, who gave the film 0 stars in his review and said “Cruise gets to grandstand and overact in downright embarrassing ways, chewing the scenery with impunity. And there’s a lot of scenery for him to chew: This film was shot in VistaVision.”
Time‘s Stephanie Zacharek says in her review, “Iñárritu and his star aren’t telling us a story; they’re selling us, relentlessly, on the genius of the movie they’ve made. This is reverse-engineered awards bait, a movie that insists it’s digging for the truth, when all it’s really doing is shoveling.” Meanwhile, Robert Daniels writes on RogerEbert.com: “It’s excruciatingly painful that this languid, self-satisfied film doesn’t work. Digger never fully commits to its high concept.”
Digger hasn’t been universally panned, however. Randy Myers of the San Jose Mercury News praises Cruise, saying: “What should be talked about is Cruise’s spectacle of a performance. He’s better here than even in his great turn in Paul Thomas Anderson’s Magnolia. That is saying a lot.” And Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle at the very least sees the vision of Iñárritu: “What makes the film great, or near great, is its hugeness of aspiration. Iñárritu is trying to make the ultimate statement about our time. He can’t possibly succeed completely, but he takes a big swing and makes serious contact.”
Even legendary director Guillermo del Toro waded in with his impressions of the film.
Entirely Petty headline. Love it or not. And, yes, I do. The film delivers in scale, ambition and reach at a theatrical screen level. Daring, bold and Cinematically complex. Decidedly a Theatrical experience. https://t.co/Gby9ykcj9A
— Guillermo del Toro (@RealGDT) October 1, 2026
Amid the negative reviews, Digger is reportedly trending toward being a box office bomb. After a production budget of a reported $160 million to $180 million, Variety reports that Digger is tracking toward a launch of $12 million to $15 million in North America. That’s big-time bad news, as Variety quotes rival execs as saying “a movie of this size would need a debut near $40 million to justify its budget.”
Digger FAQ
When does Digger come out in theaters?
Digger officially debuts in theaters on October 2, 2026.
What character does Tom Cruise play in Digger?
Tom Cruise plays Digger Rockwell, an oil tycoon described as 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.
Who else stars in Digger?
John Goodman, Riz Ahmed, Sandra Hüller, Michael Stuhlbarg and Jesse Plemons all star with Cruise in Digger.
Who directed Digger?
Digger was directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, who directed 2014’s Academy Award-winning Birdman.
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