By Alice Preputnick; Photo Credits to Alice Preputnick
Nine times out of ten, I go into a movie screening having seen the trailer for the movie or at least knowing something about it. For “Digger”, I knew nothing, which made this movie better. There will be spoilers in this review, so be cautious.
While I think it is best to go into this movie knowing nothing, I will try and give a brief summary of the film that doesn’t give too much away. “Digger” stars Tom Cruise, who plays Digger Rockwell, the owner of a big oil company. Due to his carelessness, an explosion occurs at a drilling site in Greenland, which causes an ice shelf to break off and crash into Europe. After this long opening sequence, it is revealed that these characters are actors in a dress rehearsal for a play called “Fossil Fools”, and even later in the film it is revealed that the actors are living in a post-apocalyptic future following the true events of the play.
This movie was incredibly slow. It took about thirty minutes to get past the opening sequence and into the real story. After that, I felt that the writers didn’t balance the time spilt very well. I found myself impatiently waiting to go back into the reality of them being actors working on the play.
However, I love when a movie has a good meta concept, and this film did not disappoint with its ‘meta twist’. When done right, I think a meta plotline can elevate an already good script and its themes. In “Digger”, this is true. This added another level of commentary to the already heavy story.
The more I sit with this movie, the more I realize that I didn’t necessarily enjoy watching it. The plot was too intense and unbalanced, and because of this, I wouldn’t go watch it again. Yet, my friends and I left the theater feeling rewarded. The broader messaging of this movie made the drawn-out experience of watching it worth it.
I do wish this film went even more into how integral theater is in understanding the world and how messy it can be. Theater is a powerful way to cope with tragedy, and the narrative within this film expresses that, especially near the end of the film, when Cruise’s character and the director of the play are arguing about the play “Fossil Fools”.
Additionally, the setting for this movie was wild. When the story started to drag on, I started to pay a lot more attention to the background. The physical sets in the back were enormous and would bring me right back into the world when I would drift off. This film’s aesthetic reminded me of Wes Anderson’s signature style, which helped to keep me grounded in the world of the movie.
Too many movies have started to shift to using digital sets rather than practical ones, and I think that plays a big role in the rise in inauthentic films. Practical sets help ground the actors in the world the film is set in, and it works especially well for movies like “Digger” that are set in multiple different worlds.
We need more movies like “Digger”. We need more movies that leave the audience with questions and that allow them to think about the world and their role in it. That’s what “Digger” did for me, and it could do for you. I urge you to go see this movie while it is still in theaters.