The new Iñárritu film sees Cruise as an oil baron in a grotesque, self‑aware romp that mixes absurdity with climate alarm, according to the L.A. Times.
Tom Cruise steps into the shoes of Digger Rockwell, an oil‑tycoon whose world is literally falling apart. The opening scene finds him in a bedroom drenched in cat urine, coaxing an elderly feline to lick his finger. It’s a grotesque tableau that sets the tone for a film that never aims for comfort.
The premise is simple yet extreme: a Greenland ice shelf collapses, sending a massive iceberg toward Norway. The disaster threatens to unleash what a protester in the film dubs a “gen‑oil‑cide”. Cruise’s character convenes a secret summit with a caricatured U.S. President, played by John Goodman, and a cadre of corporate cronies. Their solution? A frantic scramble to protect their own interests while the planet teeters on the brink.
The Unsettling Premise
Iñárritu, fresh off two Best Director Oscars, uses this set‑up to launch a satire that feels part dystopia, part stage play. The script, co‑written with Sabina Berman, Alexander Dinelaris and Nicolás Giacobone, layers three narratives. First, the corporate boardroom drama. Second, a meta‑theatrical production called “Fossil Fools” that mirrors the on‑screen chaos. Third, a personal subplot about a missing daughter that never quite lands. The review in the L.A. Times notes that the meta‑play reveals the film’s own artifice: the plane, the trees, even the ice are props on a stick.
Cruise’s performance is deliberately over‑the‑top. He delivers lines with a Texan drawl that feels half‑parody, half‑self‑indulgence. The review likens his presence to a resurrected Ross Perot, a figure out of time, and suggests that only a star of his stature could secure a $125 million budget for such a risky venture.
Meta‑Theatre and Visual Excess
Cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki captures the presidential summit in harsh, low‑angle lighting that makes the leaders look as if they’re melting alongside the ice caps. Production designer Dennis Gassner fills the set with dead animal trophies — a rhino head, a polar‑bear rug, each a reminder of the ecological carnage the film condemns.
The film’s most jarring shift arrives when the narrative pulls back to reveal the “Fossil Fools” stage. The audience within the film watches a play about a billionaire’s downfall, while the actual audience watches a movie about that very play. The L.A. Times calls this move a “seismic jolt”, noting that the layers of fiction can feel confusing, especially when the subplot about the missing daughter ends on a weak note.
Sound design adds to the chaos. Composer Cosmo Sheldrake blends real bird calls with the squeal of a broken circus calliope, underscoring scenes where coffeemakers explode and ceilings leak. The review points out that the constant clatter sometimes drowns out the dialogue, making it hard to follow the already tangled plot.
Despite the overload, there are moments that land. Riz Ahmed’s Dr. Ganesh offers a sober counterpoint, pleading that even a man like Digger can’t rewrite ocean currents. His scenes cut through the noise, reminding viewers that the film’s absurdity is meant to highlight real climate inertia.
The L.A. Times concludes that “Digger” is a mess of ambition and excess, but it’s a mess worth noting because it dared to bring climate satire to a big‑budget arena. Whether the film’s audacious blend of slapstick, theatre and ecological dread will find an audience beyond festival circuits remains to be seen.
The movie opens in theatres this Friday, and early reactions suggest it will split viewers the way the review does. Some will applaud its daring, others will walk out before the curtain falls.
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