‘Digger’ Review: Tom Cruise’s Return to Comedy Swings Big in this Ambitous Meta Satire

Written By: Tanner Stein

Tom Cruise dusts off his comedic acting and delivers one of the most entertaining yet decisive movies of 2026. Directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, Digger will cement itself as one of the year’s most talked-about movies. 

It feels like years since Cruise has picked up a non-action role for the big screen. Coming off the grand finale of the Mission: Impossible franchise, Cruise dove right back into the comedy sphere as Digger Rockwell, the most powerful man in the world, who has to prove he’s humanity’s savior before the disaster he unleashes ruins everything. Digger Rockwell fits plenty of stereotypes that you may see about a man at the top. He’s rich, has a Southern drawl, doesn’t care about anyone but himself, and will do anything to keep his status. The film spends its runtime not trying to make you love Digger Rockwell, or even like him; instead, Digger uses that unlikeable billionaire as a perspective on climate change and the dangers it poses to the world.

It’s been said before, and it will be said many times again, but Tom Cruise is one of the best actors to ever do it. As Digger Rockwell, Cruise delivers, showing just how heavy the weight on Rockwell’s shoulders feels after every decision. Each time Digger looks out for himself, people suffer because of it. You see a man facing the world-ending consequences of his actions and watch as he’s forced to open himself up to others. Throughout it all, Cruise is able to make Digger Rockwell one of the funniest characters that the theater can sit back and laugh at. Every scene of the film has Cruise featured in some way, and by the end you’ll have his gray hair and big gut burned into your memory. 

While Cruise is phenomenal as the lead actor, the supporting cast take the film to another level. President Compton (John Goodman) steals every scene he’s in, acting as the blubbering world leader who only takes advice from the other rich men in the room. In a film full of characters to hate, one bright spot is Ganesh (Riz Ahmed), a scientist and the president’s assistant. Being the only voice of reason in any room, he portrays what the audience is thinking, giving viewers a character to root for. Ahmed’s performance bounces off Cruise’s magnificently, giving Cruise a foil, going against the grain of the rich and powerful, even if it puts his job on the line.

While the performances are strong, the strengths of the film come from director Alejandro González Iñárritu. It’s been over a decade since Iñárritu became an Academy Award-winning director for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014), and 12 years later, he proves he still has the craft. Two plotlines are converging through Digger, and Iñárritu makes sure to work them seamlessly throughout the film. However, since these plotlines converge so seamlessly, it gets confusing figuring out where the characters are at a specific moment. When the film is solely focused on Digger Rockwell and his journey to save the planet, that is where Iñárritu truly shows why he’s an Academy Award-winning director.

Digger wants people to take a step back and look at the world through the lens of the elite, rich men who run the world. But in doing so, it acts as a hilarious satire on how these leaders act, making viewers laugh while still leaving the theater worried about where the world may be headed.