In a rather bold and surprising marketing move, Warner Bros. has put the words ‘insufferable’ and ‘baffling’ in its own ad for Tom Cruise’s Digger.
What Is Digger? Everything to Know About Tom Cruise’s New Movie
Despite the fact that the film stars Tom Cruise, you probably haven’t heard much about it until now. Here are a few quick facts to bring you up to speed:
- It’s Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s first English-language film since The Revenant
- Cruise plays Digger Rockwell, an oil tycoon who launches a campaign to paint himself as humanity’s savior after causing a global disaster
- Supporting cast members include Riz Ahmed, Sandra Hüller, John Goodman, and Jesse Plemons
- Its cinematic release is October 2, 2026 in the US and UK
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With a star-studded cast and award-winning director, this “comedy of catastrophic proportions” has been fairly quiet outside awards-season circles. Until this week…when the reviews landed.
When Did the Digger Reviews Come Out? Premiere and Embargo Timeline
Digger skipped out on the usual festival circuit and had its world-premiere at the Royal Film Performance in London’s Leicester Square on September 22, with Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, in attendance. Early reactions from press screenings then trickled out on social media, but the real reviews came in after the review embargo lifted on September 29.
Digger Reviews Are Split, and Warner Bros.’ New Ad Leans In
Reviews came in all at once, and critics are split:
“A match made in showboating hell” – The Hollywood Reporter
“love-it-or-hate-it folly”- BBC Culture (4/5 stars)
“fascinating misfire”- Awards Radar
Warner Bros. appears to have seen the split coming, so it seems like they have actually leaned into the negative reactions. On the day the review embargo lifted, the studio released an advert for the film with flashing social media reactions in mismatched pairs. Examples include “Brilliant” and “Baffling”, and “Magnificent” and “Insufferable.” Early in the spot, Cruise’s character snaps, “F— those people,” and it closes on the tagline “Same film, different truth.”
Is the Digger Marketing Gamble Smart? Rotten Tomatoes Score and Box Office Outlook
With its current rating of 53% on Rotten Tomatoes at the time of writing (and 44/100 on Metacritic), many expect a disastrous opening weekend, with Warner Bros. reportedly projecting just $12 million to $15 million in North America. When you consider the reported production budget of $160 to $180 million (up from $125 million at greenlight, though Warner Bros. disputes that figure), it doesn’t look good.
So are Warner Bros. taking a different approach by luring us in with startling reactions? Ragebaiting on social media has become a prevalent and effective phenomenon to drive engagement. By feeding us a confusing slew of clashing reviews, are we meant to want to watch the movie?
Well, it’s definitely bringing more attention to the movie; we’ll give them that. Decide for yourself by watching Digger in US and UK cinemas this week on October 2.
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What Critics Are Saying About Digger: Review Scores at a Glance
Scores are shown as published by each outlet. Where an outlet doesn’t publish a rating, Metacritic’s 0 to 100 conversion is shown. Correct as of October 1, 2026, and subject to change.
| Publication | Critic | Score | What they said |
| Consequence | Liz Shannon Miller | 91/100 (Metacritic) | “the biggest risk of Tom Cruise’s career” |
| Collider | Victoria Luxford | 90/100 (Metacritic) | “an audacious swing from both the director and its star” |
| Evening Standard | Staff critic | 5/5 | “audacious, risky, terrific fun” |
| Screen Rant | Brandon Zachary | 8/10 | Says the film’s big ambition is its biggest problem, but it lands as “something masterful” |
| BBC Culture | Nicholas Barber | 4/5 | Warns most people won’t go and some will walk out, but says he loved it |
| The Associated Press | Jake Coyle | 3/4 | “an of-the-moment big swing” |
| Time Out | Phil de Semlyen | 80/100 (Metacritic) | “don’t listen to anyone who tells you it isn’t funny” |
| ComingSoon | Jonathan Sim | 5/10 | Says the twist leaves it feeling “considerably lower-stakes than its premise initially promises” |
| The Guardian | Peter Bradshaw | 2/5 | “an exasperatingly shallow, laborious, self-congratulatory satire” |
| Empire | Olly Richards | 2/5 | “Digger doesn’t have much going on beneath the surface” |
| The Hollywood Reporter | David Rooney | No score | Calls it a smug, shallow satire driven by two oversized egos |
Digger opens in US and UK cinemas and IMAX on October 2, with tickets on Fandango and IMAX.
