The Plot of ‘Digger’ Explained and What Tom Cruise’s Oil Baron Satire Is About

‘Digger’ opens in United States theaters on October 2 in IMAX, yet the story itself has stayed largely under wraps. Warner Bros. provided an enigmatic logline instead of a full plot, and the trailers have added only a little more detail. That mystery has left many moviegoers asking what the film actually covers.

The plot of ‘Digger’ follows Tom Cruise as Digger Rockwell, the most powerful man in the world, who embarks on a frantic mission to prove he is humanity’s savior before the disaster he has unleashed destroys everything. Below is what is known about the story, the people behind it and how early viewers are responding.

‘Digger’ Plot Summary and the Crack in the Ice

Rockwell is an ambitious and ultra wealthy oil tycoon whose latest excursion has taken him to Greenland. There his work has caused a fissure in the ground that sets off a chain reaction threatening the world at large.

The President of the United States, played by John Goodman, tasks him with undoing the damage. That leaves Rockwell trying to protect his business and his grip on power while also rescuing the planet from a problem he created himself.

One breakdown of the footage describes a five foot fissure in a glacier that could destabilize an entire ice shelf, with a scientist warning that millions of people could be displaced and the damage could reach as high as eighteen trillion dollars. The same account says the character races to spin the crisis as proof that he is humanity’s savior. That tension between the size of the danger and the size of his ego drives the story.

What the Movie Is About Beneath the Satire

The film is billed with a tagline calling it a comedy of catastrophic proportions. That is an unusual turn for a director who tends toward heavy dramas. Its premise has also invited comparisons with ‘Dr. Strangelove’.

Iñárritu has said the idea stayed with him for a long time. He described a relentless recurring obsession rather than a script, one that took ten years to shape because he was searching for the right way of telling it rather than a story. He also said the film is absurd and dangerous but comedic, because the source of great comedy is tragedy.

The director describes his lead as charming, funny and impossible to look away from, someone who, like the most dangerous people, makes you want to agree with him. That description points to the film’s real subject, which is how a powerful man can turn a catastrophe into a public relations opportunity.

The ‘Digger’ Cast and the Team Behind the Camera

Alongside Cruise, the ensemble includes Riz Ahmed, Sandra Hüller, Michael Stuhlbarg and Jesse Plemons, with John Goodman as the President. Sophie Wilde and Emma D’Arcy round out the announced cast.

Behind the camera, Iñárritu directed from a screenplay he co-wrote with Alexander Dinelaris, Nicolás Giacobone and Sabina Berman, with a story credited to Berman, Iñárritu and Jez Butterworth. The production shot in the United Kingdom for six months and marks his first English language film since ‘The Revenant’. Emmanuel Lubezki served as cinematographer and the movie was shot using VistaVision.

Cruise is barely recognizable in the title role. The film reportedly features extensive prosthetic work, more than he has undergone since ‘Tropic Thunder’, and the actor says the makeup process was reduced from six hours to one. It is also his first film since signing a deal to develop and produce theatrical films with Warner Bros. Discovery.

Early Reactions and the ‘Digger’ Release Date

The film had its world premiere in London on September 22, and press screenings in New York and Los Angeles produced first reactions that are sharply divided. Some critics call it one of the most audacious studio movies ever made while others call it a mess.

IndieWire’s Anne Thompson called it “a brave and gorgeous art film” and predicted it will not resonate with mainstream audiences. Variety’s Clayton Davis said he respects the swing but wished the film leaned harder into the absurdity and satire it kept reaching for. Both Cruise and Ahmed have drawn strong praise for their performances.

On the practical side, an international rollout begins on September 30 ahead of the North American opening. The film will play in Dolby Cinema, IMAX and other premium large formats, with VistaVision screenings as well. No streaming date has been announced.

With critics split between calling the film a tour de force and a misfire, does Cruise’s transformation into Digger Rockwell feel like a risk worth taking for a star known for blockbusters, or does an oil baron satire about a climate disaster ask too much of a mainstream audience?