Warner Bros. Pictures has embraced the polarizing critical reception of Digger, the climate satire starring Tom Cruise and directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, unveiling a cheeky social media just hours after the film’s review embargo was lifted. Posted shortly after the embargo’s release, the spot playfully highlights the deeply split reaction to the film, which opens in theaters on October 2, and features a defiant line delivered by Cruise’s title character aimed squarely at the doubters.
The , which arrived online mere hours before critics’ reviews began rolling out widely, captures the very division that has come to define the film’s early reception. Currently, Digger holds a “rotten” 52% score on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes and a 44 on Metacritic, placing it firmly in the mixed-to-negative territory. For Cruise, whose career spans decades of box-office dominance, the numbers mark a notable low: his lowest-rated film on Rotten Tomatoes is Cocktail, which sits at a mere 11%.
An Ad That Flaunts the Controversy
According to Entertainment Weekly, the opens with a quote from X user @thejonathansim, who wrote that “Digger is an ambitious film sure to polarize audiences.” The clip then cuts to a scene featuring Cruise as tycoon Digger Rockwell, who delivers the line, “You know what? F— those people!” The remainder of the spot cycles through contrasting descriptors drawn from various reactions to the film, flipping back and forth on screen between phrases such as “unpleasant” and “masterpiece,” “baffling” and “brilliant,” and “insufferable” and “magnificent.” The device turns the film’s critical schism into its central selling point, suggesting that audiences may well form their own strong opinions one way or the other.
The marketing approach reflects a growing trend among studios leaning into divided reception rather than hiding from it, betting that even negative buzz can drive curiosity and box-office turnout. For a film as visually ambitious as Digger, the strategy also underscores the importance of the theatrical experience as a differentiator from home viewing.
Critics Split on the Satire
Reaction from critics has been decidedly mixed, with several praising the performances while questioning the film’s sharper intentions. IGN’s Michael Calabro landed on the more moderate end of the spectrum, awarding Digger an “okay” score of 6 out of 10 in his review.
“Digger’s satire may not change your thinking on global warming, but there are excellent performances and more than a few laughs… Digger is far from a must-watch, and if the trailer has you feeling skeptical, save your money. The theater experience won’t change your mind, and the laughs that are there still will be when it hits HBO Max.”
Michael Calabro, IGN
Calabro’s assessment mirrors a broader pattern among reviewers who found the film entertaining in spots but ultimately unfulfilling in its thematic ambitions. The film is billed as “a comedy of catastrophic proportions,” with Cruise transformed into an oil tycoon whose drilling operations trigger a global disaster. Critics have noted that Cruise appears nearly unrecognizable in the lead role, a physical commitment that many praised even as others found the underlying satire underdeveloped.
Looking Ahead
Digger is set to open in theaters on October 2, with the studio clearly hoping the word-of-mouth momentum—however divided—will translate into strong opening-weekend numbers. Given the film’s mixed critical standing, much will depend on whether general audiences are drawn in by Cruise’s star power and the film’s ambitious premise, or deterred by the skeptical buzz surrounding its message.
As is often the case with films that divide critics, the theatrical run will serve as the true test of whether Digger can carve out a lasting audience. Warner Bros. appears confident enough in the project’s ability to spark conversation that it is willing to put that very division front and center, betting that in today’s crowded marketplace, being talked about—positively or negatively—remains far more valuable than being ignored.
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