Editor’s Note: This story includes mention of suicide. If you are struggling with suicide or your mental health, you are not alone. Resources are available here.
SPOILER: This column contains potential spoilers for “Digger.”
Releasing a movie in 2026 can feel like spinning a roulette wheel. Major blockbusters like “The Odyssey” and “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” found huge success. Smaller films, like “Obsession,” multiplied their budgets substantially.
But a growing list of movies find themselves struggling, both financially and with critics. “Mercy,” featuring Chris Pratt, and “In the Grey,” with Henry Cavill and Jake Gyllenhaal, both struggled greatly. The newest victim: “Digger.”
“Digger” is a movie I couldn’t help but enjoy. The comedic elements, outlandish conflicts and excellent acting all come together to create an enjoyable experience. But I can’t help but question its ability to convey its message.
The dark comedy is directed by “The Revenant” and “Birdman” mastermind Alejandro G. Iñárritu. It features a star-studded cast, including John Goodman, Riz Ahmed and Sarah Hüller. Tom Cruise headlines the film, with so much Texas charm and prosthetics you may be led to guess he let himself go after his 2025 film “Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning.”
His character, Digger Rockwell, is as bold as he is eccentric. Rockwell is a Texas oil tycoon with a deep obsession for two things: money and a half-dead cat. His life is thrown for a loop when his company's oil drilling in Greenland causes a massive glacier to move towards Europe. With the aid of a concerned climate scientist and the U.S. president, Rockwell is forced to confront the threat, but also keep the narrative on his side.
But the movie isn't as one-dimensional as its trailer may seem.
To the dismay of many rumors, the movie isn't a musical. Instead, it contains a theatrical play based on in-movie events after the Rockwell-induced post-climate apocalypse. Meaning, what we see in the Rockwell sections is exactly what the audience will watch during the play. The film frames a dual narrative between Rockwell and the actor portraying him, Curtis Markson (also Tom Cruise), as he navigates a familial crisis spurred by climate-induced storms, all while rehearsing for the play’s debut. These storylines are interwoven in a nonlinear timeline.
These two conflicts build on one another, putting Markson’s questions of proper portrayal and stress alongside Rockwell’s attempt to control the narrative and survive, all coming to fruition in the final act of the movie — the climax of both stories' plots. In the climax, we see a harsh juxtaposition: Rockwell commits suicide and is shamed forever, while Markson’s family is brought together and the play becomes a hit. But as the camera pans out to the post-apocalyptic world, the satisfaction is short-lived. The world doesn’t change, and the climate is still destroyed.
The movie is full of ambition, but the delivery is controversial to many degrees. With a 52% Rotten Tomatoes score, it has led advertisers to make one argument: go see it for yourself — a belief I can't help but reiterate.
Complex movies, like the Oscar-winning “Everything Everywhere All at Once” are usually my favorites, especially when told through comedy. But in the case of “Digger,” the message feels a bit rocky. In my opinion, the movie struggles to deliver its message without the aid of a spoon-fed ending.
Being forced to handle two entirely different plots and find a way to reconcile them both is a difficult task. This makes the Markson story feel rushed and patched together at times, while the fully fleshed-out Rockwell section receives more emphasis. Only being resolved in an ending that loses much of the ambiguity that made the earlier sections interesting.
But this is the magic of “Digger.” Like the play, there's no obvious way to feel about it. Rockwell causes the world’s demise and tries to shift the blame onto everyone but himself.
In a speech to a mob-like assembly, Rockwell points out a hypocrisy: we, as a society, say we want a renewable, clean world, but in our actions, we choose the opposite. And in so many ways, we depend on that lack of change in order to maintain our comfort and avoid the major pains that come with sustainable living.
Whether you believe this sentiment or not — or believe Rockwell actually believes what he’s saying — the idea that change isn't simple is hard to debate. And that’s the point. Climate change requires a unified approach, but at its core is dependent on the individual, leading to the complex situation we find ourselves facing.
And this is what the movie does best: it leans into that complexity. Much like human-induced climate change, there's no simple way to look at this film.
It’s serious and inquisitive, but also goofy. It’s a complete stage performance, but parts are underdeveloped and left out. And while the play ends with a smiling cast, everyone has to return to a destroyed Earth, a result of their own actions.
This idea is emphasized throughout the movie. The actors are forced into a conflict about the play itself during rehearsal, arguing whether or not it delivers these messages and questions effectively. And most importantly, questioning if Rockwell is truly as evil as he is portrayed.
Whether you resonate with these questions, or think the movie delivers its message well, I believe will vary from person to person. Therefore, I can’t help but recommend seeing it for yourself. It’s a great movie to discuss with your friends or on your own, and it is well worth the time to see it.
A list of resources is available here if you or someone you know is struggling with suicide or mental health.
