Tom Cruise and Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s New Movie Is a Massive Swing Hollywood Rarely Takes Anymore

Academy Award-winning director Alejandro G. Iñárritu has created an exceptionally ambitious film with Tom Cruise, a collaboration that cast members describe as a rare major creative risk for contemporary Hollywood. In "Digger," Cruise plays an oil tycoon whose drilling project in Greenland triggers a global catastrophe, though his primary concern is salvaging his own reputation and portraying himself as humanity's saviour. This partnership departs from typical blockbuster filmmaking, with actor Jesse Plemons emphasising that the project offers genuine artistic substance rather than formulaic entertainment.

The ensemble production features John Goodman, Riz Ahmed, Sandra Hüller, Michael Stuhlbarg and Plemons, filmed in VistaVision—a large-format process using negatives four times larger than standard stock. This process captures unprecedented visual clarity and detail, though the camera's mechanical noise necessitated extensive post-production sound work. Cast members highlighted Cruise's collaborative curiosity and exploratory approach as elevating the production, whilst praising a significant mid-film speech as exemplifying the film's ambitious narrative scope.