DIGGER

No, this one isn’t worth the watch. The movie satirizes greed, political power, environmental destruction, and Christian nationalism, but its humor often feels more mocking than insightful. The commentary on faith, in particular, can feel heavy-handed, with religious belief repeatedly treated as a source of ridicule rather than a serious part of the movie’s larger criticism.

The movie also struggles to hold all these ideas together. Some of the comedy falls flat, while a later subplot adds another distraction to an already crowded story. The constant profanity, crude jokes, drinking, disturbing imagery, and mean-spirited behavior only make the two-hour-plus runtime harder to sit through.

Worthwhile ideas lie beneath the noise, particularly about the dangers of power without accountability. But the sharp satire keeps pushing until it loses its subtlety. Instead of letting the audience wrestle with its ideas, the movie often tells viewers exactly who and what to laugh at, leaving its social commentary feeling more like a lecture wrapped in a joke than satire that actually lands.

Digger Rockwell holds power as an oil tycoon. His drilling operation in Greenland triggers a catastrophic chain of events. A massive glacier breaks loose and moves toward populated areas. Governments scramble to respond. Thousands of lives remain at risk. Digger realizes his actions may have caused this situation. Instead of accepting responsibility, he uses his wealth, political connections, and public influence to control the narrative. He presents himself as the man who can save the day.

Two stars for a movie with flashes of comedy and strong performances that ultimately bury its best qualities under excess. Tom Cruise and Riz Ahmed have terrific chemistry, and their exchanges rank among the movie’s most entertaining moments. Jesse Plemons also delivers a standout monologue late in the film that gives his character a surprising moment of depth.

Unfortunately, the movie often talks itself in circles. Some scenes run far too long, with characters rambling until the story seems to lose track of where it was headed. An especially grating sound sequence also pushes the movie’s sensory overload too far.

The movie has worthwhile ideas about power, responsibility and the stories people tell to protect themselves, but it talks so much that its own message gets lost in all the noise.

This movie contains a strong Romantic worldview with heavy anti-Christian and politically correct elements. Simply put, the movie lumps political power, big money, and religion together into one corrupt machine. It saves its harshest scorn for believers who wrap the cross in the flag. Faith rarely looks sincere here. Instead, it serves as a costume for greedy, arrogant people who want God to rubber-stamp their plans.

Digger himself fits right into that picture. He brings up God whenever it suits him and uses Scripture to brush off the pain he causes others. In his mind, whatever he wants must match heaven's plan. Another character thinks God answered his prayer for food, but the movie quickly pulls the rug out and reveals the miracle as a figment of his broken mind. Again and again, the story treats prayer and God's providence as punchlines.

Matters get no better in the halls of government. A preacher with the president's ear prays over men who just put profits ahead of people. His flattery convinces the president that God chose him to carry the world's guilt, and that grandiose idea sends him down a destructive path. When a critic holds up the Bible as a check on his power, the president throws it aside and waves it off as a book with no claim on America.

Thankfully, Kenny offers a glimmer of hope. Despite a cold, selfish upbringing, he chooses to put others first when it counts. His choice reminds viewers that people can rise above their circumstances and pick virtue anyway. Sadly, one good deed can't outweigh a story so eager to mock faith and the people who hold it dear. 

DIGGER stumbles more often than it should. The main plot never asks viewers to take it seriously, yet the movie gives them little reason to care, and that plot eats up most of the runtime. A few standout performances and some striking visuals help, but they can't rescue a story that fades from memory soon after the credits roll. Save your movie night for a story worth the time.