Digger – Budget of $125 million – 2 hours and 9 minutes
 |
Oil tycoon Digger Rockwell tends to his cat, Maggie, and answers calls from his supervisors on-site. He tells the Alaskan supervisor to drill 20% more oil because they need a million barrels a day. Then, Digger gets a frightening call from his Greenland supervisor. The crack widened. Now, methane gas is leaking. It will only get worse if Digger doesn’t change course. Digger’s family has been digging since 1917. He won’t let environmental fears stop him now. He tells the supervisor to keep drilling and hangs up. Digger meets with Maggie’s vet as Dr. Ganesh enters. The Greenland rig blew up, killing all the workers. Digger says he will take care of the workers’ families, but he’s more concerned with losing his rig. Ganesh regretfully informs Digger there is more to lose, and they need to talk to the president.
President Compson, Vice President Eddie, and General Fitzgerald sit with Digger awaiting Ganesh’s briefing. The crack caused an ice shelf 5 times the size of D.C. to break off. They named the shelf Judy. Judy is floating towards Europe. When it hits, it will cause a tsunami. Millions will be displaced, and thousands will die. Fitzgerald wants to blow it up with nukes, while Eddie wants to warn Europe. However, both will affect Digger’s bottom line. Compson fears Europe will blame America if they don’t warn them about the impending doom. Then, Ginesh tells them this is only one possibility. If the tides shift, Judy could float to the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and melt. But that is less likely. Everyone looks at Digger for a solution. Digger wants to control the narrative, not Mother Nature. He wants to implement a firewall. It will use AI to block words on social media and the news. They will contain and control the information. Everyone agrees and shakes hands. Then, Compson asks to speak to Digger privately. Digger takes Compson to his mother’s old greenhouse. Compson explains that he has cancer and will need surgery. Judy will be his legacy if they don’t handle it properly. Digger assures the Compson that he has everything under control. They look out the window as a tree falls. Can Digger save the world?
This satirical dark comedy spotlights environmental, government, and capitalistic issues. It doesn’t feel real because everything is amplified, dark, dramatic, and computerized. You can laugh at the buffoonery while keeping a healthy distance from anything real. Then something changes as Digger exits the scene. This change is jarring and confusing. It happens multiple times without explanation. In the third act, the audience understands they are seeing a glamorized version of the truth. However, the owner and their motive are the twists. Digger isn’t another doomsday film that pushes you to think about the future. It’s a dark comedy that makes you question today. The actors did a wonderful job balancing their roles. However, the film was too long and loses the audience with its strange storytelling. The film attempts to be too much at once and loses momentum. This picture was meant for the big screen, but you will only want to see it once. It’s supposed to make you think, but nothing remains.
I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars
Words are perception, and perception is reality – Digger
That was the good news – Dr. Ganesh
I have to read – President Compson
Bomb first, question second – General Fitzgerald
Break a leg – Kenny
Share this:
Categories: Digger, In The Theater, jesse plemons, john goodman, Michael Stuhlbarg, movie, review, Riz Ahmed, Sandra Hüller, Tom Cruise
