Guillermo del Toro Defends Tom Cruise's 'Digger' Amid Harsh Reviews

Director Guillermo del Toro has publicly defended Tom Cruise's new film, "Digger," against a barrage of negative reviews, describing the criticism as "petty." The big-budget black comedy, which was positioned as a potential awards contender, has faced a critical backlash, with some outlets labeling it the worst film of Cruise's career.

"Digger" currently holds a "rotten" rating of 51 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, marking it as Cruise's lowest-rated film since 2017's "The Mummy." However, del Toro, an Oscar-winning director for "The Shape of Water," took to X (formerly Twitter) to defend the film's cinematic merits.

Responding to an IGN headline that suggested the theatrical experience would not alter opinions on "Digger," del Toro stated, "Entirely Petty headline. Love it or not. And, yes, I do. The film delivers in scale, ambition and reach at a theatrical screen level. Daring, bold and Cinematically complex. Decidedly a Theatrical experience."

Del Toro proceeded to re-post positive comments from other users about the film, advising his followers to "Tune in or drop out." He also shared an image of himself with Cruise at the 2023 Academy Awards.

Directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, known for "The Revenant" and "Birdman," "Digger" stars Cruise as eccentric oil tycoon Digger Rockwell, who races to fix a catastrophic ecological disaster he himself unleashed. The film, which also features John Goodman as the U.S. President, is described as a politically charged satire commenting on climate issues and corporate greed.

While some critics have praised Cruise's performance, with Collider calling it "bizarre but brilliant," and the Daily Mail awarding it four out of five stars, other reviews have been harsh. The Boston Globe called it a "turgid, unfunny, and borderline unwatchable 128 minute mess," and Den of Geek suggested it "forgets the statement must still work as anything more than a self-flagellating valediction from a movie star."

Despite the critical divide, box office projections for the film, which reportedly cost over $125 million to make, are concerning. Reports suggest "Digger" might open with less than $10 million, with more optimistic predictions ranging between $16 million and $26 million for its opening weekend. These figures, even at the higher end, are considered disastrous for a film intended as an awards contender.

This marks one of the few awards-focused films Cruise has starred in over the past three decades, during which he has primarily concentrated on action blockbusters like the "Mission: Impossible" franchise and the critically acclaimed "Top Gun: Maverick." Cruise has been actively promoting "Digger" through press appearances, including features in GQ magazine and interviews on "Good Morning America" and "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon."