Story perspectives

“Digger” Review Score Hits 53% as Iñárritu Directs

By Drooid · Sep 29, 2026, 10:27 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Tom Cruise stars as oil tycoon Digger Rockwell in the climate-disaster satire “Digger”.
Alejandro González Iñárritu directs the film, which Warner Bros. released nationwide on October 2, 2026.
The production budget exceeded $125 million.
Rotten Tomatoes lists a 53% rating from 95 reviews, indicating mixed critical response.
Production design by Dennis Gassner and Richard Johnson earned acclaim for elaborate sets and costumes.

History

Historical Context

The 1973 oil embargo, triggered by OPEC's production cut, plunged Western economies into a fuel shortage crisis. President Richard Nixon’s administration reported a 7% rise in gasoline prices, while the U.S. GDP fell roughly 1.5% that year. Today’s satirical film “Digger,” starring Tom Cruise and directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, mirrors that era’s oil-power drama through a fictional tycoon. The parallel underscores how Hollywood revisits past energy shocks, prompting Warner Bros. and critics like Rotten Tomatoes to gauge public appetite for climate commentary.

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Story summary

Tom Cruise stars as oil tycoon Digger Rockwell in the climate-disaster satire “Digger”.
Alejandro González Iñárritu directs the film, which Warner Bros. released nationwide on October 2, 2026.
The production budget exceeded $125 million.
Rotten Tomatoes lists a 53% rating from 95 reviews, indicating mixed critical response.
Production design by Dennis Gassner and Richard Johnson earned acclaim for elaborate sets and costumes.

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