DIGGER
In Australian cinemas October 1, 2026
There has been plenty of anticipation and conversation surrounding DIGGER, particularly the question: Is this the film you should go and see Tom Cruise in? My honest answer is yes.
After finally seeing DIGGER, that anticipation has been replaced with something far more satisfying — the feeling that I have just experienced a film that needs to be seen, absorbed and perhaps even seen again.
This is not an easy film to simply sit back and watch. From its opening moments through to its powerful ending, DIGGER takes you on a journey that continually shifts in tone, dimension and storytelling. It is dark, complex, confronting and, at times, quite crazy in the way it unfolds, but there is also something remarkably real about it.
Trying to criticise or even explain too much about this film is difficult without giving away elements that should remain untouched. This is one of those cinematic experiences where the less you know going in, the better. You need to allow the story to unfold in front of you and process what you are seeing for yourself.
Academy Award-winning filmmaker Alejandro G. Iñárritu returns with this original film, and his direction is evident in every frame. There is a confidence in the way the story moves in and out of its many dimensions, while the visual scale and artistry make DIGGER feel like a film created specifically for the big screen. And then there is Tom Cruise.
Cruise once again takes on a complex character and completely commits himself to the role. There is far more going on here than simply another Tom Cruise performance, and his transformation is particularly striking.
I have to mention the makeup and prosthetic work because it deserves attention of its own. Cruise reportedly spent extensive time in the makeup chair during the development of his transformation, with the makeup team eventually reducing the process dramatically. That level of detail is remarkable when you see the character on screen, and it would not surprise me to see the work receive serious awards-season attention.
Cruise is surrounded by an extraordinary cast, including Oscar winner Riz Ahmed, John Goodman, Oscar nominee Sandra Hüller, Michael Stuhlbarg and Oscar nominee Jesse Plemons, all bringing their own weight and intensity to a story that continually keeps you questioning where it is taking you.
Behind the camera, Iñárritu has assembled an equally impressive creative team, including Oscar-winning cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, production designer Dennis Gassner, Oscar-winning editor Stephen Mirrione, costume designer Jacqueline West and Oscar-winning makeup and hair designer Alessandro Bertolazzi, alongside Oscar-winning prosthetic makeup designer Kazu Hiro.
The film was shot entirely in VistaVision, and that decision pays off. There is an enormous amount of visual artistry in DIGGER, from its production design through to the cinematography and makeup, making it the kind of film where seeing it in a cinema adds another level to the experience.
With a reported budget in the region of $120 million — and some reports suggesting the production may have risen considerably higher — there is certainly scale on screen. But what impressed me most was not simply where the money has gone. It is how that scale has been transformed into a film that feels artistic, unpredictable and incredibly detailed.
There is also the fact that DIGGER has been around a decade in the making, which makes finally seeing the finished film even more intriguing.
The story follows the world’s most powerful man as he embarks on a frantic mission to prove he is humanity’s saviour before the disaster he has unleashed destroys everything. But to say much more would be to take away from the experience.
And that is where I think DIGGER will divide audiences — not because it lacks something, but because it gives you a lot to process. For me, that is precisely what makes it worth seeing. It is dark. It is complex. It is visually extraordinary. It is at times completely unexpected. But beneath all of that, I found something very human and very real within the madness.
This is not a film I want to explain to you.
This is a film I want you to experience.
Iñárritu has created something incredibly ambitious, Tom Cruise has delivered another committed and complex performance, and the combination of the cast and creative team has produced a cinematic experience that stays with you after the credits.
Could DIGGER attract Oscar buzz? I certainly think the conversation is justified, particularly around its performances, direction, cinematography, production design and extraordinary makeup and prosthetic work.
For me, the biggest compliment I can give it is simple:
I would see it again.
And sometimes, after sitting through a film that gives you this much to think about, that says everything.
DIGGER opens in Australian cinemas October 1, 2026.
Review Caroline Russo
