Tom Cruise's Digger Rotten Tomatoes Score Gets Official Audience Verdict

Published Oct 3, 2026, 5:53 PM EDT Fariba Rezwan is a Lead Editor for the Movie News team. She has been with ScreenRant for nearly five years, with roles ranging from list editor to junior news editor. During that time, Fariba has led coverage for breaking movies and TV news, including Hunger Games, Marvel, and streaming. Additionally, she has actively provided commentary and reactions to the biggest movies and shows on her YouTube channel, The Movieception Show. Tom Cruise's Digger bows for its curtain call. Directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Alejandro G. Iñárritu, the new comedy follows Cruise's titular billionaire, who becomes humanity's last hope to stop an environmental catastrophe. Despite award buzz and theories about the movie's true premise, reviews of Digger were so split that critics warned the satire wouldn't suit average moviegoers. As a result, the comedy became Cruise's first "rotten" movie in the last decade, but the audiences' reception determined whether that caution was warranted. With over 250 ratings, Digger debuted a surprising 72% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, showcasing a clear split with critics. Still, the movie has earned Cruise's lowest audience score in the last decade, but it's more than double The Mummy's 35%. Interestingly, despite the "fresh" audience rating, CinemaScore reported a mixed C+ grade. Tom Cruise Movies In The Last 9 Years Rotten Tomatoes Critics' Score Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score The Mummy (2017) 15% 35% American Made (2017) 85% 79% Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018) 98% 89% Top Gun: Maverick (2022) 96% 99% Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning (2023) 96% 94% Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning (2025) 80% 88% Digger (2026) 51% 72% Nevertheless, Digger is clearly one of 2026's most polarizing features. Despite its ambitious premise, the movie's biggest issue is that it prioritizes style over substance. Despite comparisons to Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece Dr. Strangelove, reviews found the new movie lacked the classic's humor and execution. Many described the climate change satire as preachy, while the major twist has divided critics and audiences. Some found the reveal audacious, while others complained that it ruined the movie's vibes for the rest of the viewing. Meanwhile, the technical aspects, like the whimsical score and eye-popping visuals, drew praise. Cruise's high-energy performance stood out, especially during an emotional, versatile monologue that lasted a grueling 10 minutes. Even so, audience reception was sharply divided, with some defending the movie's execution while others found it a waste of time. In light of the contentious reactions, Warner Bros. has used it as a marketing ploy for a recent trailer. In response to a tweet from DiscussingFilm, the post says, "You decide," using a mix of the movie clip and quotes from outlets that overwhelmingly gave positive reviews, including IndieWire's "This Tom Cruise masterpiece will stand the test of time," and The Telegraph's "beautiful, daring, and extravagant." Unfortunately, Digger's polarizing response has already impacted its box office potential. Despite a hefty $160–180 million budget, the satire is projected to make just $8 million domestically, Cruise's lowest opening weekend in 19 years. Meanwhile, the award hype has significantly dwindled, but Cruise's bizarre role still has a strong chance of landing a Best Actor nomination. It also marks a lukewarm end for Warner Bros., since Digger will be its final movie as an independent studio before it's merged with Paramount to go under Skydance. On the other hand, while the polarizing satire marked Cruise's break from stunts, he will return to the action genre with the Days of Thunder sequel, starring Anne Hathaway. Iñárritu co-wrote the screenplay with Alexander Dinelaris, Nicolás Giacobone, and Sabina Berman. Riz Ahmed, John Goodman, Sandra Hüller, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Jesse Plemons round out the supporting cast. Digger is now playing in theaters. Release Date October 2, 2026 Runtime 128 minutes Director Alejandro González Iñárritu Writers Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Sabina Berman, Alexander Dinelaris, Nicolás Giacobone Producers Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Mary Parent, Michael Sharp, Tom Cruise Cast