Guillermo Del Toro defends Tom Cruise's 'Digger' against critics
Synopsis
Guillermo Del Toro has gone to bat for Tom Cruise's 'Digger' — publicly calling out critics on X and flooding his timeline with positive reviews. The intervention puts one of Hollywood's most respected auteurs on record in defence of Alejandro G. Inarritu's divisive black comedy, raising the stakes in an unusually public war of opinions over a major studio release.
Key Takeaways
Guillermo Del Toro publicly defended Tom Cruise 's film 'Digger' via posts on X on 4 October 2026 .
Del Toro called the film “daring, bold and cinematically complex” and labelled one critical headline “Entirely Petty.” 'Digger' is directed by Academy Award -winner Alejandro G.
Inarritu and released by Warner Bros.
Tom Cruise plays Digger Rockwell , an oil baron whose actions risk triggering an ecological and nuclear catastrophe.
The film's ensemble cast includes Riz Ahmed , John Goodman , Sandra Hüller , Jesse Plemons , and Emma D'Arcy .
Hollywood filmmaker Guillermo Del Toro has stepped forward to publicly defend Tom Cruise and his latest release, 'Digger', directed by Alejandro G. Inarritu, after the film faced a wave of critical pushback following its theatrical debut.
Del Toro's Defence on X
Del Toro took to social media platform X to push back against detractors of the Warner Bros. R-rated black comedy. Calling one critical headline “Entirely Petty,” he wrote: “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.”
The Pan's Labyrinth director also went on to repost several positive audience and critic reviews, including write-ups praising Cruise's lead performance. “Funny, I go into the platform and without even scrolling down, these are popping at the top of my timeline. So… I will just keep posting them. Tune in or drop out,” he added.
What 'Digger' Is About
The film is described as a comedy of catastrophic proportions. Tom Cruise portrays Digger Rockwell, an oil baron whose company may have triggered an ecological catastrophe with the potential to spark a nuclear war. Facing consequences that threaten to spiral out of control, Rockwell embarks on a desperate mission to convince the world that only he can prevent the disaster his own actions have set in motion.
The film is helmed by Academy Award-winning director Alejandro G. Inarritu, whose past credits include Birdman and The Revenant. The screenplay was co-written by Inarritu, Oscar winners Alexander Dinelaris and Nicolas Giacobone, and Sabina Berman, from a story by Inarritu and Berman.
Star-Studded Cast and Crew
Alongside Cruise, the film features an ensemble that includes Riz Ahmed, John Goodman, Oscar nominee Sandra Hüller, Michael Stuhlbarg, Oscar nominee Jesse Plemons, Robert John Burke, Emma D'Arcy, Burn Gorman, and Sophie Wilde.
The film is produced by Inarritu, Oscar nominee Mary Parent, Tom Cruise, and Michael Sharp. Executive producers include Joshua Grode, Sabina Berman, Alexander Dinelaris, Nicolas Giacobone, Jez Butterworth, and Emmanuel Lubezki.
The Debate Around the Film
The public spat between enthusiastic defenders and critical voices reflects a broader divide in how audiences and critics are receiving the film. This is not the first time a big-budget, auteur-driven project has split opinion sharply at launch — a pattern seen with several of Inarritu's previous ambitious works. Notably, Del Toro's vocal intervention adds rare Hollywood-peer weight to the pro-'Digger' camp.
Whether the word-of-mouth battle will translate into stronger box office numbers for Warner Bros. in the coming weeks remains to be seen.
Point of View
While fellow filmmakers admire his ambition. The more interesting story here is whether a director of Del Toro's stature publicly lobbying for a film can shift audience sentiment in the social-media age — or whether it only deepens the backlash. Tom Cruise's producing credit also makes this unusually personal for a star who rarely backs projects he doesn't believe in commercially and artistically.
NationPress
4 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Guillermo Del Toro defend 'Digger'?
Del Toro posted on X calling the film 'daring, bold and cinematically complex' after critical reviews prompted what he described as an 'Entirely Petty headline'. He also reposted several positive reviews to counter the narrative.
What is 'Digger' about?
'Digger' is a black comedy directed by Alejandro G. Inarritu in which Tom Cruise plays oil baron Digger Rockwell, whose company may have triggered an ecological disaster with the potential to start a nuclear war. The character races to convince the world he alone can fix the catastrophe he created.
Who is in the cast of 'Digger'?
The film stars Tom Cruise, Riz Ahmed, John Goodman, Sandra Hüller, Michael Stuhlbarg, Jesse Plemons, Robert John Burke, Emma D'Arcy, Burn Gorman, and Sophie Wilde.
Who directed and wrote 'Digger'?
'Digger' was directed by Academy Award-winner Alejandro G. Inarritu. The screenplay was written by Inarritu, Oscar winners Alexander Dinelaris and Nicolas Giacobone, and Sabina Berman, from a story by Inarritu and Berman.
Who produced 'Digger'?
The film is produced by Alejandro G. Inarritu, Oscar nominee Mary Parent, Tom Cruise, and Michael Sharp, with executive producers including Joshua Grode, Sabina Berman, Jez Butterworth, and Emmanuel Lubezki. It is distributed by Warner Bros.
