Tom Cruise’s Digger is a film that’s already been judged — and not just by critics. Guillermo del Toro has stepped into the fray, defending the Alejandro González Iñárritu-directed sci-fi drama like it’s his own child. The Oscar-winner didn’t mince words: he called the headline on IGN “entirely petty.” That’s one way to describe a review that dismissed the film as a theatrical experience that won’t change minds, even if it does land on HBO Max. Del Toro wasn’t having it. He called Digger “daring, bold and cinematically complex,” and insisted it was built for the big screen. Not a streaming afterthought. A spectacle. A statement. Even if it’s one few are rushing to see. The film’s domestic opening is expected to fall below $15 million. A number that feels like a whisper in an era of billion-dollar franchises. Rotten Tomatoes sits at 54% positive. Audience score? 65%. The gap suggests people aren’t going in blind. They know what they’re walking into. And yet, some still do. Del Toro’s defense isn’t just about art. It’s about legacy. He referenced The Devils, Ken Russell’s 1971 firestorm of a film, banned in Mexico, condemned as blasphemous, now considered a masterpiece. “I LOVE it more than ever,” he wrote. “Because it’s not about possession. It’s about narrative manipulation.” He dropped that line right after calling out Warner Bros. For releasing a climate-change-themed movie that isn’t actually about climate change. “Yes,” he added, “it’s excessive. Overbearing. See it in a theatre.” The implication? Digger might be too much. But that’s the point. The film’s release date is October 3, 2026. It’s already in theatres. The debate isn’t over whether it’s good or bad. It’s whether we still believe in films that demand something from us. Whether we’ll let them be loud, messy, defiant. Or if we’ve already decided what cinema should be. The next question isn’t about box office. It’s about who gets to decide what matters.