Film reviews: Tom Cruise is nearly unrecognisable in the decisive and unexpected 'Digger'

Under the direction of Alejandro G Iñárritu, famous for pitting Leonardo DiCaprio against a bear in The Revenant, Tom Cruise undergoes a remarkable transformation in Digger (15a).

Cruise plays Digger Rockwell, an eccentric oil tycoon who worships his cat as his offspring. The poor creature is dying, so he flies in specialists from around the world to save his beloved pet. Digger believes that if you throw enough money at a problem, eventually a solution will present itself.

Reports from one of his oil-drilling sites in Greenland warn that continued drilling could trigger an environmental disaster. Digger ignores them.

By the time his team finally convinces him the disaster is imminent, it has already happened. A gigantic chunk of ice has been ripped from Greenland and is now hurtling towards Europe, threatening to cause untold devastation across the continent.

There is no specialist he can fly in, and no amount of money he can throw at the situation will make it go away. But that doesn’t really matter. Men like Digger don’t concern themselves with the consequences of their bad decisions. They concern themselves with the consequences for themselves.

When the US president (John Goodman) and his team convene an emergency meeting, the priority is not necessarily saving Europe or even confronting the enormity of what has happened. It is damage limitation. How can they contain the situation or, more importantly, how can they make sure the blame lands somewhere else? Maybe they can blame the Russians? Who cares about Europe anyway?

It is here that Digger begins to reveal its teeth. Beneath the absurdity, the eccentric billionaire, and the impending environmental catastrophe is a pointed satire about wealth, power, and the extraordinary lengths those at the top will go to avoid accepting responsibility for the damage they have caused.

Thirty minutes into the film, there is a massive plot twist. It is a brilliant twist—a genuine, “Wait… did I just see that?” moment. It makes reviewing Digger particularly difficult.

The twist and the film itself will divide audiences. Some people will embrace Digger, while others may find it completely impenetrable. It could become one of the biggest flops of the year, or it could find an audience willing to embrace its sheer audacity. Either way, it is hard to imagine it leaving people feeling indifferent.

It is big, bold, and undeniably daring. But it is also overly long and populated by so many unpleasant, deeply unlikable characters that it becomes impossible to root for anyone. That may well be the point, but it can make for a challenging viewing experience.

Cruise gives it everything, and it should put him firmly in the Oscar conversation. Sandra Hüller, who plays Digger’s half-sister, is brilliant if underused.

Whatever you make of Digger, it is far too unexpected to leave you sitting on the fence. You may love it, you may hate it, you may walk out wondering what on earth you have just witnessed — but I can’t imagine it failing to move you one way or another.

• Cinematic release

Verity

★★★☆☆

In an adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestseller Verity (15a), Anne Hathaway plays renowned author Verity Crawford, beloved by fans and her publisher, living luxuriously in a coveted lake house.

After a severe car accident, Verity is left immobile and unable to communicate, requiring full-time care from a live-in nurse. She can follow simple commands but shows no outward emotion or recognition.

Unable to finish her books, her publisher, needing to fulfil her contract and keep her condition secret, hires a ghostwriter to complete her work.

The publisher chooses Lowen Ashleigh (Dakota Johnson), a lesser-known writer in Verity’s genre, to take over the project. Initially hesitant, she is persuaded by Verity’s husband, Jeremy (Josh Hartnett), to accept the challenge.

Lowen moves into the lake house to review Verity’s notes and drafts, but soon uncovers a secret that could upend both Verity’s fans and Jeremy’s life.

As Lowen struggles to come to terms with what she reads, she begins to suspect Verity isn’t as incapacitated as she appears.

Lowen faces huge decisions about what to do with the document, all while developing a growing crush on Jeremy — a crush he seems to be reciprocating.

Hathaway plays Verity in a fantastically pulpy way that makes it easy to lap up the sexy thriller-noir aspects of the story. Hartnett, bless him, is a little wooden, while Johnson plays the same character she always seems to play—slightly bored and detached.

Still, there is plenty of fun to be had in the twists and turns, which should easily entertain for a couple of hours.

• Cinematic release

Try

★★★★☆

Directed by Oisín Mistéil, Try (12a) focuses on mixed ability rugby, following four Irish teams in the lead-up to the 2025 Mixed Ability Rugby World Cup in Spain.

In Cork, anticipation for the World Cup is high at Sunday’s Well. The team has won the World Cup twice and is among the sport’s founding members. We learn just how much the game has changed Richie Philpott’s life, a larger-than-life player.

For Maeve Owens of the Ballincollig Trailblazers, she is no longer alone; she never fears her team-mates will make fun of her Down’s syndrome.

Wexford’s Paul Deacon travels to Dublin to play with his team, the DLSP Vikings. He speaks candidly about what it was like to be seen as someone who couldn’t play sport or be part of something. Now, he has a sense that he is worth something.

Tommy Crawford plays for the Belfast-based Malone Tornadoes, lives with depression, and says the sport is the “kick up the bum” he needs to get out the door. Once he gets to training, he never regrets it.

As we get to know these four players on and off the pitch, the action moves to Spain, where they face the highs and lows of the international game.

Heartwarming, funny, and joyful, Try embodies what sport should be: A place where people can find their tribe, discover what they are capable of, and, most importantly, feel they belong.

• Cinematic release