“Digger” is an easy film to hate.

Apparently, a lot of critics and movie-goers do.

This despite Tom Cruise, who is perhaps the biggest male star in cinema, in the title role of “Digger.”

According to the website, Deadline, “Digger” had the lowest opening weekend in 19 years for a Tom Cruise movie, with $8 million, Oct. 2-4.

“Digger” had a C+ with move-goers on CinemaScore.

Cruise, who has cruised to the top of the box office as star of blockbusters such as “Top Gun: Maverick” (2022) and the “Mission: Impossible” series (1996-2025), has taken risky roles before.

We are not talking about his breakthrough starring role in “Risky Business” (1983).

Cruise has been nominated for four Academy Awards.

His movies have grossed more than $13.3 billion worldwide.

Cruise, born Thomas Cruise Mapother IV in Syracuse, N.Y., on July 3, 1962, starred in “Rainman” (1988), “The Color of Money” (1986), “Born on the Fourth of July” (1989), “A Few Good Men” (1992), “Jerry Maguire” (1996), “Magnolia” (1999), “Eyes Wide Shut” (1999), “Vanilla Sky” (2001) and “Minority Report” (2002).

Cruise is a risk-taker in his film role choices and in the stunts he does in his action films.

“Digger” is perhaps the biggest risk so far for Cruise.

In “Digger,” Cruise plays Digger Rockwell, a balding, overweight oil-industry tycoon. His latest oil exploration project in Greenland cascades into a glacier-cracking disaster with a huge chunk of ice sea-bound for the coast of Norway.

“Digger” is directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu and co-written by Iñárritu, Sabina Berman, Alexander Dinelaris Jr. and Nicolás Giacobone from a story by Iñárritu, Berman and Jez Butterworth.

Iñárritu is an eight-time Oscar nominee. He’s a four-time Oscar recipient: director, “The Revenant,” 2016; picture, director, screenplay, “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance),” 2015.

The screenplay for “Digger” has extended monologues, especially by Cruise as Digger. The dialogue is trenchant, revelatory and often laugh-out-loud hilarious.

Cruise is brilliant in the role of Digger even though he’s nearly unrecognizable in physically-altering makeup and outfits. Cruise is fearless in his elocution, mannerisms and intensity.

Cinematographer is Emmanuel Lubezki (eight-time Oscar nominee, cinematography; three-time Oscar winner, cinematography: “The Revenant,” “Birdman,” “Gravity”).

Cosmo Sheldrake, an English musician, composed the score in his feature-film composing debut.

Though Cruise is the star of “Digger,” the movie is an ensemble piece with strong performances by John Goodman as a United States president; Riz Ahmed as Dr. Nirav Ganesh, head of Environmental Safety; Sandra Hüller as Emma Rockwell, Digger’s business partner; Jesse Plemons as Kenny Rockwell, Digger’s nephew, and Sophie Wilde as Hannah, director of “Fossil Fools.”

“Digger” is one of the best films of 2026. It captures the zeitgeist of our times. It’s thought-provoking, intriguing and immensely entertaining. It bears repeated viewing.

“Digger” is deserving of Oscar nominations for Cruise as actor and Goodman as supporting actor, as well as for director, screenplay and many technical categories.

“Digger” has a delightful twist that won’t be revealed here as it would spoil your enjoyment of the film should you see it. You should see it.

Many movie critics and social media trolls got it wrong.

“Digger” will be regarded as a cinema classic.

If you are a fan of Tom Cruise, director Alejandro G. Iñárritu and edgy, idiosyncratic cinema, you will dig “Digger.”

I did.

Tom Cruise fans, not to worry. He’s not going rogue. Cruise is set to return to his reliable action-hero wheelhouse with “Days of Thunder 2,” starring opposite Anne Hathaway.

“Digger,” MPA rated R (Restricted: Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian) for pervasive language; Run time: 2 hours, 9 minutes; Genre: Satire, Drama. Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.

Credit Readers Anonymous: “Digger” was filmed November 2024 to May 2025 in Pinewood Studios, United Kingdom. The soundtrack includes The Ink Spots’ “I Don’t Want to Set the World on Fire” and “I Didn’t Care,” and Melanie’s “Look What They’ve Done to My Song, Ma.”

At The Movies: “Digger” was seen in the standard format at AMC Center Valley 16.

Theatrical Movies Domestic Weekend Box Office, Oct. 9-Oct. 11: “Other Mommy,” starring Jessica Chastain in the horror film, opened at No. 1 with $27.5 million in 3,365 theaters.

2. “Verity” dropped one place from its one week at No. 1 with $11.4 million in 3,572 theaters, $53.8 million, two weeks. 3. “Resident Evil” dropped one place, $8.3 million in 3,085 theaters, $138.5 million, four weeks. 4. “Heart of the Beast” dropped one place, $7.1 million in 3,365 theaters, $49.6 million, three weeks. 5. “The Social Reckoning,” starring Mikey Madison, Jeremy Strong and Jeremy Allen White in the biographical legal thriller, $5.5 million in 2,606 theaters, opening. 6. “Forgotten Island” stayed in place, $4.5 million in 2,898 theaters, $30.2 million, three weeks. 7. “Primetime” dropped two places, $4 million in 2,269 theaters, $41.4 million, three weeks. 8. “Digger” dropped four places, $8 million in 3,321 theaters, $14.4 million, two weeks. 9. “Angel and the Badman,” starring Zachary Levi, Neal McDonough and Tommy Lee Jones in the western remake, $2 million in 2,263 theaters, opening. 10. “The Odyssey” moved up one place, $2 million in 560 theaters, $622.9 million, 13 weeks.

Movie box office information is from Box Office Mojo as of Oct. 11.

Unreel, Oct. 16:

“Sense and Sensibility,” MPA rated PG; 2 hours, 11 minutes. Georgia Oakley directs Daisy Edgar-Jones, Esmé Creed-Miles, Bodhi Rae Breathnach and James Carcaterra in the Romance Drama. Synopsis: A new take on the Jane Austen novel of a charming, witty and relatable story of love and sisterhood.

“Street Fighter,” MPA Rated PG-13; 1 hour, 50 minutes. Kitao Sakurai directs Jason Momoa, Noah Centineo, Cody Rhodes and 50 Cent in the Martial Arts Superhero Action film. Synopsis: Street Fighters Ryu and Ken reunite when Chun-Li recruits them for the World Warrior Tournament.

“You Can See Everything,” MPA rated R; 2 hours, 54 minutes. Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim direct the documentary. Synopsis: Thirty-four days before she’s sent to prison, Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes invites a film crew to document her every move.

“Musk,” MPA rated R; 3 hours, 52 minutes. Alex Gibney directs the documentary. Synopsis: An analysis of Elon Musk, the technology billionaire who is CEO of Tesla, SpaceX and X.

Movie opening information is from Internet Movie Database as of Oct. 11.

Four Popcorn Boxes out of Five Popcorn Boxes