THE EMPIRE
It’s rare for a movie to come along that has the ability to tear down an idea to its core and give the establishment such a middle finger.
This contains mild spoilers.
Digger introduces us to Digger Rockwell (Cruise), an oil tycoon who embodies so many of the stereotypes associated with “big oil”. He has a close relationship with the President (Goodman), and together, they’re making efforts to cover up some huge environmental issues. While that might sound like a bit of a greenie idea, zoom out a bit and look at the bigger picture, as the writers have. There’s much more going on here, and Digger delivers its message with a glorious middle-finger approach.
This is a film you’ll want to watch if you have a healthy scepticism of “the establishment” and big companies wagging the dog to control people’s understanding of the world around them. For that, I doff my hat to Cruise.
I’ve personally never been that big a fan of Tom Cruise. I find the Mission: Impossible movies a bit over the top, and he seems a bit of a weirdo based on some of the interviews I’ve seen over the years. I did very much enjoy movies like Top Gun, Top Gun: Maverick and Days of Thunder, but outside of those, I’ve been quite happy not to watch his films.
This movie changed my opinion of Cruise for the better. It had the balls to shine a spotlight on some of the biggest issues, secrets and powerful people in the world, and it made us laugh while doing it.
We meet Digger as what seems to be an eccentric billionaire with an unhealthy relationship with his cat, and we watch him unravel as things don’t go his way. His unravelling gives the viewer a sense of satisfaction after seeing how he treats his staff, his problems and the world in general.
This film will divide audiences along political lines. Some will side with Digger until the bitter end, while others will take early joy in his shortcomings. That’s why this film has been described as polarising.
The depth the film explores throughout Digger’s experience is immense. There are so many subtle jabs at ideas and things we see all the time but never really stop to consider. These all add to the narrative the writers and producers want the audience to think about.
I think that’s what I liked most about this film: the implications it makes about things most of us take for granted. I believe this is the kind of film that will get people talking about real issues.
Cruise was quoted as saying this is his best work yet, and I’d agree with that. We all like a big Hollywood blockbuster, but this one makes you think, whether you want to or not.
I’ll leave the big revelation for you to enjoy, but I will say that the twists are amazing and add to what I’ve already said about the film’s intentions and what the filmmakers want you to see.
The level of detail is staggeringly good, from the way the actors are made up to exaggerate their appearances to the little things you might miss on your first watch. I’ve been telling certain friends they need to watch this, and I already want to see it again to pick up on more of the details.
I rate this a solid 10/10, which is possibly the first, and maybe the only, time I’ve ever given a film a perfect score.
I was waiting for a break in the story to go to the bathroom, and I instantly regretted missing a plot twist. This movie doesn’t let up at any point, so prepare your snacks and put your phone down.
Thanks to Universal for having us!
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