DIGGER (2026): Social Media Reactions to New Tom Cruise Picture are Mostly Mixed to Positive

Digger Socials Prove Film is Controversial

Digger social media reactions are in and, although some predicted it would all be doom and gloom, there is actually quite a bit of light at the end of the tunnel. 

Filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu was announced to direct Tom Cruise in an untitled project a little while back, and automatically, people assumed that film, Digger, would be a guaranteed awards contender. Early social media reactions have collectively suggested that the movie could be in the running for Best Actor and Best Makeup and Hair-styling, for sure, and don’t rule out Best Picture just yet.

Matt Neglia of Next Best Picture certainly isn’t happy with the way Digger turned out, judging from his negative social media post. Clayton Davis for Variety doesn’t seem to have much faith in the film either. Edward Douglas of the Weekend Warrior fame seems to think Digger is destined to receive the lowest CinemaScore that a Tom Cruise film has received since his Magnolia/Vanilla Sky days. That fat lady will not come out and sing that easily, though, simply because of these reactions. Courtney Howard, freelance film critic, is going to be seeing it a total of at least three times. She really dug it and other major critics have come out of the woodwork to admire Alejandro González Iñárritu’s daring vision as many thought they would, despite some of the heavy-hitting critics being naysayers.

This means Digger is controversial. That’s just like when 1999’s Magnolia, which got a “C-” CinemaScore and went on to Oscar nods for Cruise, its screenplay and more, came out. Cruise is a major force in Hollywood and people will not ignore him so easily despite the disappointment some critics seemed to feel regarding Digger. Alejandro González Iñárritu makes films that get Oscar nominations, plain and simple. It seems this new vision of his is going to be a a strong awards contender, at least in the Best Actor category.

Digger‘s studio, Warner Bros. needs a hit. They ran an ad for the film some months back that highlighted the great performances of the one and only Cruise. It was an ad that still holds water. Cruise will got nominated for Best Actor unless the movie totally bombs out at the box-office,. A “C” CinemaScore won’t kill its chances but under $10 million total box-office grosses may. It doesn’t seem the situation is that bleak. This controversy could even sell tickets since some of the reviews are, indeed, positive.

Cruise and Alejandro González Iñárritu could be an unstoppable combination, and it’s clear they have made a different movie that is pushing buttons. Oscar may just nod, no matter how many people want to dig Cruise and Warner Bros. one more foot under. Cruise may need a shovel to bury some of the disappointing reviews, but he needn’t worry too much about a snub by the Academy for Best Actor at this point in time.

While our linked news source below took a negative approach to the early reactions for the film, several positive reviews to glowing ones have just surfaced on X, proving it’s certainly anyone’s guess what will happen with Digger come Oscar nomination time.

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