Warner Bros. is turning Digger’s fiercely divided critical reception into a selling point.
A new online ad for Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s film urges moviegoers to “Decide for yourself,” then places sharply conflicting reviews alongside a blunt response from Tom Cruise’s title character.
The ad begins with a critic’s assessment that Digger “is an ambitious film sure to polarize audiences.” Cruise’s character promptly fires back: “You know what? Fuck those people!”
From there, the ad flashes pairs of dramatically opposed reactions across the screen: “Unpleasant” against “Masterpiece,” “Baffling” against “Brilliant,” and “Insufferable” against “Magnificent.” It closes with Cruise declaring, “Never be afraid to tell the truth — whatever that is.”
The approach makes no attempt to conceal the film’s negative notices. Instead, Warner Bros. is openly presenting the controversy as a reason for audiences to buy a ticket and reach their own conclusions.
The studio also appeared prepared for a bruising response in some quarters. The ad went live before the review embargo broke Tuesday, when critics began weighing in with reactions ranging from enthusiastic praise to outright hostility.
A $125 Million Film Built to Provoke
The $125 million production features a nearly unrecognizable Cruise as an oblivious oil tycoon. After his drilling operation in Greenland dislodges an ice shelf from a glacier, setting up a potential global disaster, he races to establish himself as humanity’s savior before the ecological accident causes havoc across the planet.
That premise, however, does not tell the whole story. Digger contains a narrative-altering twist that leads into its actual meta storyline. The turn has complicated the conversation around the film, with critics attempting to discuss its ambitions and execution without revealing what happens.
Supporters have described Digger as a daring, timely story, while also praising its production design. Cruise’s performance has earned attention for its bombastic intensity, with the actor depicted as fully committing to the role.
Other reviewers have reached almost the exact opposite conclusion, attacking the film as pretentious, obnoxious and exhausting. Critic David Rooney called it “a climate crisis satire so smug and bombastic it makes Adam McKay’s Don’t Look Up seem almost innocuous.”
Rooney argued that the movie reflects “two outsize egos” indulging their impulses without restraint. He also described the experience as an “eardrum-shattering” and “bludgeoning ordeal,” questioning whether mainstream audiences would want to participate.
That extreme gap between praise and condemnation is reflected in the early numbers. With reviews still arriving, Digger holds a 53 percent positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 113 reviews. The nearly even split closely matches the oppositional language highlighted in Warner Bros.’ ad.
What Happens Next?
Moviegoers will soon have the opportunity to settle the argument for themselves. Digger opens in theaters Friday, Oct. 2, with its studio embracing rather than avoiding the possibility that audiences may leave just as divided as critics.