Tom Cruise's 'The Digger' a Box Office Disaster? Yet "A Misunderstood Masterpiece" — Reevaluation and Plot Twist from the New York Times, The Guardian, and Others

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Hollywood star Tom Cruise's new release, 'The Digger,' is receiving an unexpected reevaluation after a box office failure. Columns describing the film as a "hidden masterpiece" have been published one after another in prominent media outlets in the United States and the United Kingdom, reigniting debate surrounding the movie.

'The Digger,' directed by Mexican master Alejandro G. Iñárritu, who has won two Academy Awards for Best Director for 'The Revenant' and 'Birdman' and one for Best Picture, is a black comedy depicting how an oil drilling accident involving oil chaebol Digger Rockwell (played by Tom Cruise) spirals into a climate disaster.

According to Variety, 'The Digger' earned approximately $8 million (Hanwha approx. 10.6 billion won) in its opening weekend in North America on the 2nd. With production costs estimated at between $160 million and $180 million (Hanwha approx. 213.8 to 240.5 billion won), it has been suggested that, considering the scale of the budget, the film could be recorded as one of the worst box office failures in history. It is known to have recorded the lowest opening for a Tom Cruise-led film in 19 years.

At release, critical reactions were mixed, with scores reaching only about 53% on Rotten Tomatoes and 43% on Metacritic.

The New York Times published an op-ed column by novelist Jason Green titled "Tom Cruise's Big Flop Is a Hidden Masterpiece" on the 14th (local time). Green assessed, "'The Digger' might be the best film ever made about the climate crisis, cleverly disguised as the worst movie."

Green confessed that he initially had no intention of seeing the film. He stated that Tom Cruise's performance as an oil chaebol in old-age makeup in the trailer "looked hollow, grating, and boring." While the first 30 minutes were as expected, Green said his heart was moved by the time the end credits rolled two hours later. He noted, "'The Digger' is easily misunderstood as 'bad art' because it depicts so accurately why bad art is necessary."

In response to a critic who panned the film as feeling like "being trapped in a tuba for two hours," Green countered, "It's not an incorrect statement," adding, "Because our anger and fear in the face of the climate crisis are always that loud and overwhelming, the film succeeded precisely on that point."

Sian Cain, a reporter for The Guardian in the United Kingdom, also previously published a column titled "A Misunderstood Masterpiece." Cain, who watched the film twice, called it "the best fiction about the climate crisis I have ever seen" and stated that it is "destined to be reevaluated over time."

The U.S. technology magazine Wired ran a column titled "Everyone Hates The Digger, Which Makes It the Perfect Climate Film," while Hollywood media outlet Deadline included 'The Digger' in its list of "20 Great Films That Failed at the Box Office" alongside 'Fight Club' and 'Citizen Kane.'

Reader reactions have also been intense. More than 550 comments were posted on the New York Times column. One German reader wrote, "There were only four audience members in the theater on opening night," adding, "It depicted our failure so well that it was deeply uncomfortable. I would recommend it anytime." Another reader shared, "Three audience members looked at each other and said 'wow' as the credits rolled." A comment stating, "It is either one of the worst films or one of the most meaningful films. I am the latter," also gained resonance.

In South Korea, the film was released on the 3rd, and Tom Cruise made his 13th visit to the country to promote it, but as of the 12th, it has failed to surpass 100,000 admissions.

Analysis also suggests that hiding key plot points in pre-release promotion to preserve the twist actually cost the film an audience. Cain recommended, "You should just go see it." Hollywood colleagues, including Anne Hathaway and director Guillermo del Toro, have also posted messages of support on social media one after another.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original