Tom Cruise and Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s Digger (read our review here) was supposed to be one of the biggest box-office events of the year. Instead, following a wave of mixed reviews and confusion over its cryptic marketing, the satirical dark comedy has rapidly become one of the most divisive films in recent memory.
A Divisive Start at the Box Office
Yet while critical consensus remains scattered, heavyweights like Alfonso Cuarón and Guillermo del Toro are rushing to the film’s defense, hinting that audiences and critics may have missed its genius.
Del Toro Leads the Charge
Over the past few days, del Toro has turned his X feed into a fan page for Iñárritu’s latest, reposting glowing reactions and highlighting fresh critical perspectives.
“Funny, I go into the platform and without even scrolling down, these are popping at the top of my timeline… So… I will just keep posting them. Tune in or drop out-,” Del Toro posted to X on Friday.
“I remember the review for THE BIG LEBOWSKI and KING OF COMEDY and a few more… to me (I know it is still not accepted) THE COUNSELOR and all the ones in your list,” Del Toro replied to a post by Raiders of the Lost Podcast, who shared a list of “masterpieces” that were “destroyed” by critics.
Cuarón’s Historical Counter-Argument
Meanwhile, Cuarón took a historical angle, sharing “Then and Now” retrospectives for landmarks like 2001: A Space Odyssey, Blade Runner, and Under the Skin—films initially torched by contemporary critics before being reclaimed as masterpieces.
A Future Cult Classic?
Whether this high-profile championing translates into box office dollars remains to be seen. While I’ll likely hold out for home media, Digger has undoubtedly sparked a conversation. Time will tell if history proves del Toro and Cuarón right.
Have you caught Digger yet? Is it a misunderstood gem or a swing and a miss? Sound off in the comments below.
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What’s Not Allowed