Movie Review: In 'Digger,' a 'Dr. Strangelove' for the climate change era | Associated Press | syndication news
Just as the fate of the world hangs in the balance in “Digger,” Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s over-the-top, climate-disaster satire teeters on the brink.
It’s an audacious plate-spinning act, juggling exaggerated farce, sober anxieties and an oil-mad Tom Cruise. Iñárritu, an art-house showman, has always delighted in a grandiosity of vision: the long-take backstage circus of “Birdman,” the rugged vistas of “The Revenant,” the metaphysical musings of “Bardo.” You come to an Iñárritu movie for swagger, not subtlety.
Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
kAmp?5 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]J@FEF36]4@>^H2E49nGl;@3g’adc}ptQm“s:886C[”k^2m — 2 “sC] $EC2?86=@G6” 7@C E96 4=:>2E6 492?86 6C2 — :D?’E ECJ:?8 E@ >:?46 H@C5D] xED 56D:C6 E@ >2<6 2 DE2E6>6?E 2?5 D92<6 FA :ED 2F5:6?46 >2J 36 F?=:<6=J E@ 7:?5 3C@25 4C:E:42= 72G@C] qFE E96C6 2C6 E:>6D E@ 8@ 3:8] r2? J@F 5:8 :Enk^Am
kAm$@>6[ DFC6=J[ H:== ?@E] %96 3:886DE 5:?8 282:?DE “s:886C” :D E92E[ 7@C 2 D2E:C6[ :E’D ?@E A2CE:4F=2C=J 7F??J] rCF:D6 :D ?@ !6E6C $6==6CD 2?5 xñáCC:EF :D ?@E $E2?=6J zF3C:4<] %96:C DEC6?F@FD 677@CED E@ C6249 2 D:>:=2C 3=24<\4@>65J A:E49 42? 72== 7=2E]k^Am
kAmqFE “s:886C” :D D92CA6C @? E96 @E96C D:56 @7 EC28:4@>65J] p? :>A2DD:@?65 AC@G@42E:@? 2:>65 2E 3@E9 A@=:E:4:2?D 2?5 2F5:6?46 >6>36CD[ “s:886C” :D 3J 2?J >62DFC6 2? F?4@>>@? >2;@C DEF5:@ C6=62D6 — 2D FC86?E 2D k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^>@G:6D\86?6C2=\?6HD\dac2`567c`3cc_3g26b7abcf46fbhdfdQm“p? x?4@?G6?:6?E %CFE9”k^2m 3FE 2 H9@=6 =@E >@C6 @A6C2E:4] u@C 36EE6C @C H@CD6[ E9:D :D 2? @7\E96\>@>6?E 3:8 DH:?8 E92E’D F?=:<6=J E@ 4@>6 2=@?8 282:? 2?JE:>6 D@@?]k^Am
kAmx? E96 >@G:6’D @A6?:?8 >@>6?ED[ s:886C #@4<H6== WrCF:D6X H2<6D FA :? 9:D =2G:D9[ H@@5\A2?6=65 9@>6 DFCC@F?565 3J 2?E=6CD[ E2I:56C>J 2?5 A@=2C 362C CF8D] (:E9 9:> :? 365 :D 9:D 496C:D965 42E[ 2 32C6=J\DE:==\2=:G6 4C62EFC6[ A@CEC2J65 2D 2? 2?:>2EC@?:4 AFAA6E E92E =@@<D >@C6 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^6?E6CE2:?>6?E\>FD:4\2CED\2?5\6?E6CE2:?>6?E\@A6C2\7:=>\C6G:6HD\ee2dc5d2b`h5e2`6ga2hdgd_f_2g33__Qm=:<6 p??6EE6k^2m E92? 2 C62= 76=:?6] %96 DF886DE:@? :D ?@E @?=J E92E s:886C[ 2? @:= >28?2E6[ 4@CCFAED ?2EFC6[ 3FE 2=D@ E92E D@>6E9:?8 >@C6 2CE:7:4:2= :D 8@:?8 @?] %96 A2DE@C2= G:6H @FED:56 9:D H:?5@H =@@<D >@C6 =:<6 2 ?2EFC2=\9:DE@CJ >FD6F> 5:@C2>2 E92? 2 =2?5D42A6]k^Am
kAm|62?H9:=6[ s:886C 368:?D 7:6=5:?8 42==D 7C@> 2 >2DD:G6 @:= 5C:==:?8 A=2E7@C> :? vC66?=2?5] p 8=24:6C 4C24< 2?5 >6E92?6 =62< 7C@> E96 D62365 2C6 H@CCJ:?8 D4:6?E:DED[ 3FE s:886C 492C:D>2E:42==J 42;@=6D E96> H:E9 32D632== >6E2A9@CD] w6 2D<D :?DE625 7@C D@>6 “9FDE=6” :? :?4C62D:?8 E96 52:=J 32CC6=D AF>A65]k^Am
kAmxñáCC:EF’D E6>A@[ H@C<:?8 7C@> 2 D4C:AE 3J 9:>D6=7 2?5 7@FC @E96CD[ :D EJA:42==J 964E:4] rCF:D6 =2F?496D :?E@ E96 492C24E6C[ 2 4@H3@J 42CE@@?[ H:E9 2 E@CC6?E @7 8@@5\@=’\3@J 5:2=@8F6] w6 AC@F5=J 3C2?5:D96D E96 D9@G6= 9:D 8C2?55255J 3682? E96 72>:=J @:= 3FD:?6DD H:E9] }62C3J[ 2 8C2?572E96C 4=@4< @>:?@FD=J E:4<D]k^Am
kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^86?6C2=\?6HD\>@G:6D\hdcdh6a_c67gc`h6ggh35762fcd_h4d_Qmt>>2?F6= {F36K<:k^2m[ E96 3C:==:2?E 4:?6>2E@8C2A96C[ 7:=>D E96D6 D46?6D 2?5 @E96CD 7C@> 36=@H[ 8:G:?8 “s:886C[” 2 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^G:DE2G:D:@?\@?6\32EE=6\27E6C\2?@E96C\435`g2h_a`a`g2g_ce_gg535g`_5327gQmD9@E :? ‘:DE2‘:D:@?[k^2m 2 =2C86C\E92?\=:76[ 42C?:G2=6DBF6 BF2=:EJ] %9:?8D BF:4<=J 8@ @77 E96 C2:=D H96? 2? :46 D96=7 ?:4<?2>65 “yF5J[” 7:G6 E:>6D E96 D:K6 @7 (2D9:?8E@?[ s]r][ 3C62<D 7C66 @7 vC66?=2?5 2?5 368:?D DE66C:?8 E@H2C5 tFC@A6 :? H92E’D AC65:4E65 E@ 42FD6 42E2DEC@A9:4 56DECF4E:@?]k^Am
kAm$@@?[ E96 ?@E\D@\5:DD:>:=2C &]$] !C6D:56?E r@>AD@? Wy@9? v@@5>2?X 2?5 9:D 423:?6E 2C6 2E s:886C’D 9@FD6[ ?665:?8 2 A=2?] r@>AD@? AC@?@F?46D :E “2 A:4<=6]” %96 5C:==\323J\5C:== 3C2:? ECFDE :D 6I4=FD:G6=J >2=6[ H9:E6 2?5 564C6A:E]k^Am
kAm%96 6?DF:?8 5C2>2 :D >@C6 23@FE 6DE23=:D9:?8 2 ?2CC2E:G6 C2E96C E92? D2G:?8 tFC@A6] s:886C G24:==2E6D 36EH66? AC:G2E6 D46?6D H:E9 r@>AD@? 2?5 2 D4:6?E:DE ?2>65 v2?6D9 W2 H@?56C7F==J H@CC:65 #:K p9>65X H9@> s:886C 92D[ 282:?DE E96 @55D[ E2<6? 2 =:<:?8 E@] x? 2 D9@HDE@AA6C[ s:886C 2AA62CD 367@C6 2 &?:E65 }2E:@?D\=:<6 3@5J[ 2== @7 E96> @FE7:EE65 :? A:DE249:@\4@=@C65 4=@E96D 2?5 :C2E6 2E H92E 96’D 5@?6 E@ E96 A=2?6E]k^Am
kAmxE’D 2 72C4:42= 7@CF> :? H9:49 s:886C >@F?ED 2? 6>A92E:4 5676?D6 @7 @:=[ “E96 >@E96C’D >:=< @7 t2CE9[” 96 D2JD] }@E :CC2E:@?2==J[ 96 2D<D H96E96C E96 H@C=5 H2D C62==J AC6A2C65 E@ 8@ H:E9@FE :E] (:E9 2 C:?8>2DE6C’D 7=2:C[ 96 >2<6D 2 8@@5 2C8F>6?E] qFE E96 :?ECFD:@? @7 C62=:EJ[ :? E96 >@G:6’D 2A@42=JAE:4 D64@?5 92=7[ 92D E96 7:?2= D2J]k^Am
kAm%96C6’D 2 D64@?5 =2J6C E@ E9:D[ E9@F89[ CF??:?8 2=@?8D:56] %96 >@G:6 2D H6 6IA6C:6?46 :E :D[ :? 724E[ 2 A=2J 36:?8 DE2865[ H6 =62C? 62C=J @?] %9:D >6E2 5:>6?D:@? @7 “s:886C” 766=D 2E 7:CDE =:<6 2 4@A\@FE[ 2 H2J @7 6I4FD:?8 E96 96:89E6?65 6IEC6>6D @7 E96 7:=>] (:E9 2 E@F49 @7 5676?D:G6?6DD[ xñáCC:EF 92D @7E6? EC:65 E@ AC66>AE 4C:E:4:D> @7 9:D 7:=>D H:E9 D6=7\C67=64E:G6 5:8C6DD:@?] #6>6>36C 9@H “q:C5>2?” :?4=F565 2 4=2D9 H:E9 2 }6H *@C< %:>6D E962E6C 4C:E:4nk^Am
kAmqFE E96 A=2J\H:E9:?\2\A=2J DECF4EFC6 @7 “s:886C” @A6?D E96 >@G:6 FA E@ BF6DE:@?D 23@FE E96 G2=F6 @7 D2E:C6 2?5 =:>:ED @7 7:4E:@?] xE 2=D@ =625D E96 >@G:6 E@ 2 52C<=J 72E67F= A=246[ 72C 36J@?5 7@DD:= 7F6= 5632E6] p?5 :E 2==@HD rCF:D6’D 7F==\3@5:65 A6C7@C>2?46 E@ DEC6E49 7C@> 42C:42EFC6 E@ D@>6E9:?8 >@C6 A@:8?2?E] rCF:D6 92D 2=H2JD 366? 36DE :? A@CEC2J:?8 6IEC6>6D @7 >2=6 68@ W“|28?@=:2[” “%C@A:4 %9F?56C[ “tJ6D (:56 $9FE”X] w:D s:886C H:== ?@ 5@F3E ;@:? E9@D6 C2?<D] qFE[ =:<6 E96 7:=>[ :EVD E96 BF:6E6C[ 7@C63@5:?8 >@>6?ED @7 9:D A6C7@C>2?46 E92E DE:4< H:E9 J@F]k^Am
kAm“s:886C[” 2 (2C?6C qC@D] C6=62D6 :? E962E6CD uC:52J[ :D C2E65 # 3J E96 |@E:@? !:4EFC6 pDD@4:2E:@? 7@C “A6CG2D:G6 =2?8F286]” #F??:?8 E:>6i `ag >:?FE6D] %9C66 DE2CD @FE @7 7@FC]k^Am
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.