By Mahnoosh Arsalan
Staff Writer
Art that takes risks and leaves audiences bewildered with the urge to self-reflect is always worth taking a look at, and Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s latest film “Digger” is one to consider. What starts out as a confusing and ridiculous story expands throughout its course, becoming a cautionary tale of what could happen if the human race isn’t more thoughtful of itself.
Iñárritu’s film follows a man named Digger and how he, with the help of governmental administration, caused the destruction of the world. Through an eclectic ensemble, “Digger” paints an abstract and almost surrealist image of the inner workings of the world and how to cause complete deterioration.
While the film cost a heaping $160 million to make, its opening weekend brought in an unsatisfying sum of $8 million. Despite great audience anticipation before the film’s release, early reviewers criticized the film to pieces, leaving bad reviews wherever they could. This reaction, while unfortunate, isn’t shocking due to the heavy amount of critique aimed towards the U.S. government throughout the film.
Iñárritu has created a film so blatantly targeted, it’s hard to ignore. He portrays people of high gubernatorial authority as moronic and spineless, which is bound to cause frustration for certain viewers. By tackling the extremely pressing and relevant issue of climate change and presenting its treatment from certain individuals in power, Iñárritu makes his opinions on today's government crystal clear.
Tom Cruise portrays the titular Digger Rockwell flawlessly. From confident and humorous line delivery to absurd physical acting, Digger was brought to life. Though the character lacks a known title within the government, he is known to be one of the most powerful men in the world, putting heavy expectations on him, only leading to madness.
Digger is an egotistical, eccentric and foolish leader, who is surrounded by a gaggle of deranged government officials. Iñárritu portrays the president and his men laughably while leaving one Dr. Ganesh to make an effort to minimize the global issue being faced in the film. Ganesh, played by Riz Ahmed, is a scientist working under Digger in order to regulate the active climate crisis.
With a weak and shy exterior, Ganesh is pushed over time and again. By working alongside Digger, he is able to speak freely and come up with possible solutions to the pressing matter of the film. However, at the end of the day, he is still a man under Digger’s power. Ahmed executed Ganesh extremely well, eliciting feelings of awkwardness and empathy from the audience.
Iñárritu’s film also stars Sandra Hüller, John Goodman, Jesse Plemons and more wonderfully talented actors. Without revealing too much information about the film, each of these brilliant actors’ characters play an important role in different parts of Digger’s life. Hüller’s character puts Digger in his place, Goodman’s character obeys and listens to Digger’s outrageous commands and Plemons single-handedly moves the film along at its turning point.
Online opinion is drawing comparisons between “Digger,” the 2025 Oscar-winning film “One Battle After Another” and Stanley Kubrick’s “Dr. Strangelove,” all controversial and politically absurd films. These films don’t hesitate to point out the flaws in the American government and the leaders behind it.
Experimental and risk-taking films are often heavily criticized and disregarded at the box office, but they can not be completely ignored. Their strong messages through an abstract lens make them stand out, creating a long-lasting impact on viewers.
Iñárritu’s “Digger” was not what anyone was expecting. It is strongly advised to go into this film completely blind and without bias, as it takes the audience through a rather captivating rollercoaster.
