‘Digger’ is the epitome of the phrase never let them know your next move

By Becca Taylor

Have you ever watched a scene that was so oddly intriguing you refused to look away even though every bone in your body screamed at you to close your eyes? Stretch that scene into a two hour film, and Alejandro G. Iñarritu’s “Digger” is your result. Strange is the only way to describe the acting, plot and themes of this entire experience. 

Digger Rockwell (Tom Cruise) is an extremely wealthy, middle-aged oil tycoon obsessed with his dying pet cat. His billionaire status is a result of the bountiful drilling company that his ancestors passed onto him – but all of that takes a turn for the worse in the beginning of the film when he receives a call from one of his locations in Greenland. Underneath all the ice and machinery, a leak has sprung in the pipes on the ocean floor, which has caused methane to seep out and pollute the ocean.

Even worse? Immediately following this call, those same pipes suddenly explode, resulting in a large iceberg to be broken off of the mainland. They refer to this life-threatening iceberg as ‘Judy,’ and she is on her way to potentially wipe out over half of Europe’s structure and population. 

Because this is a worldwide event, President Compson (John Goodman) and his office become involved in the dilemma. This introduces the great divide: Digger has to choose between his love of the business game or the lives at stake. With the help of his advisor, environmental safety chief Dr. Ganesh (Riz Ahmed), Digger must address this crisis publicly, accuse the proper political parties and reveal the truth behind the disaster. 

With the help of the short-tempered President Compson and his lively office, an even more short-tempered Digger is able to launch a plan to shut Judy down while maintaining the billions of dollars he makes per day. It is a race against time and the laws of nature, as this plan requires explosives, the United States military and Digger’s can-do attitude. 

Throughout the film, Digger Rockwell keeps the audience on their toes with his random

outbursts, snarky remarks and lust for money. The Tom Cruise fans are pulled along beside him as they see him finally act his age in a film distinct from his typical projects. This role is unusual because avid movie watchers have known Cruise to play young, witty characters throughout his entire career. With Cruise being sixty-four and playing a sixty-five year old, the audience is able to see him in a brand new light. I am grateful to confirm that his performance as an aging, angry businessman does not disappoint.

From the very beginning of the film, the characters grab the audience by the throat and drag them through this global threat with no soft landings. With major plot twists and familial predicaments throughout the entire story, Digger is not just a simple dramatic comedy. It is also laced with dark humor, foul language and strange chunks of silence and confusion. 

At no point in this movie will the audience know where the story is headed, or how they will get there. Thematically, the main point of the film is not explicitly revealed until the very end. That is yet another twist that Iñarritu implements into this oddity. Though this film can hook an audience from the beginning, it also introduces a great amount of confusion. 

“Digger” is anything but ordinary, and the main theme ends up being quite eye opening. It generally highlights the detrimental effects that oil companies have on the natural environment of the world and its inhabitants. By portraying this lightly through the film, Iñarritu captures the level of seriousness that this issue has brought to the world. 

I would not recommend this to anyone under the age of fifteen. This film is rated R due to its

heavy language, suggestive phrases and some minor inappropriate comments. However, if anyone is interested in watching a film with dark, twisted humor or strange, edge-of-your-seat scenes, then make sure to watch this one in the theater. Also I would recommend you bring someone to be confused alongside you. 

“Digger” is currently playing in theaters.

Becca Taylor is a freshman Professional Writing and Information Design major and A&E Writer. She is grateful to not be an owner of an oil drilling company – that would be too stressful. 

Images courtesy of Legendary Entertainment, Legendary Pictures and M Productions