Tom Cruise’s upcoming film Digger has received a mixed response from critics, leading the studio to create a bold marketing strategy. The movie, which is set for release on October 2, has received mixed reviews from professional reviewers. Variety’s Owen Gleiberman wrote that the film “isn’t funny. It’s nervy, in your face, adventurous, and bizarro in a free-swinging, out-of-the-box way,” and the overall critical reception has been sharply divided.
Warner Bros. is leaning into sharply divided early reviews of Tom Cruise’s new film by telling moviegoers to decide for themselves.
The early reviews have given Warner Bros. a unique opportunity to shape the film’s promotion before its opening weekend, according to Entertainment Weekly. The studio responded by creating a new advertisement that juxtaposes both positive and negative reactions to the movie. In the ad, a critical reaction is followed by a clip of Digger Rockwell, the oil tycoon character played by Cruise, dismissing “those people” with an expletive.
The campaign uses phrases like “unpleasant” and “masterpiece,” “baffling” and “brilliant,” to highlight the split in early reactions. Warner Bros. is not hiding the criticism, instead turning it into a feature of its promotional strategy. The ad encourages viewers to form their own opinion after seeing both sides of the debate.
This approach reflects how the film’s early reviews have already shaped its marketing narrative before its wide release.
Digger is scheduled to open in North American theaters on October 2, with an international rollout beginning on September 30. The studio’s promotional strategy is timed to coincide with the release window and the ongoing discussion around the film’s quality. As of October 1, Rotten Tomatoes shows a score of 51% for Digger from 134 reviews, which is considered “Rotten” under the site’s labeling system.
The site defines a film as “Rotten” if it receives fewer than 60% positive reviews from critics. It’s important to note that the critic score is separate from audience reaction, which can differ significantly. The Tomatometer reflects only professional reviews, while audience scores are shown separately on the site.
Audiences may respond differently to Digger than critics have, but that hasn’t stopped the studio from using criticism as a marketing tool. The new ad has already drawn attention online, with users reacting to it on social media platforms like X. Some commenters have expressed interest in the film or praised the promotional strategy itself, according to a report from Yahoo News.
The campaign is part of a broader effort to engage audiences even before Digger hits theaters. Alejandro G. Iñárritu directed the film and also worked on its screenplay. Digger is being described as a “comedy of catastrophic proportions,” which may explain some of the confusion among critics.
The studio’s approach to promoting Digger shows how early criticism can be turned into a promotional advantage. This method of marketing may be unusual but reflects the current climate in which reviews often influence discussion before opening weekend. The film’s release and the new campaign have put additional attention on Digger just before its North American opening.
Audiences will soon be able to judge for themselves whether Digger lives up to its controversial reputation.
IMAGE: Tom Cruise Author Gabriel Hutchinson Attribution (required by the license) Gabriel Hutchinson / WikiPortraits CC4