Alejandro G. Iñárritu's Digger has the world talking and speculating about what the big twist is. One thing people know is that it's a comedy of "catastrophic proportions." Once you watch the film, it becomes apparent that Iñárritu wants people to laugh, not because the world is funny, but because sometimes humor is the only way to make sense of it.
© ProvidedThe dark comedy stars Tom Cruise as one of the most powerful men in the world, who sets out to prove he can save humanity from a disaster he helped unleash. It takes on big questions about power, ambition and responsibility, all while making room for the absurdity of human nature.
Ahead of the film's release, I talked to Iñárritu for HOLA!, and brought up a line from the film: “They have to be able to laugh at it" and asked when he realized comedy could be a form of medicine. “Humor is like olive oil in a salad,” he told me in Spanish. “Without it, I think we cannot digest life, or it gets stuck.”
© ProvidedFor anyone who has used humor to cope, they know it doesn't necessarily make difficult things disappear, but it can make them easier to process. For Iñárritu, that ability is important in a world where people seem increasingly divided.
“Humor is the only way for us to separate ourselves and recognize ourselves in it,” he explained. “In a world so fragmented, when touching on profound subjects, humor is essential.”
He believes comedy can bring people together in a way that arguments often cannot. When we laugh at ourselves, we have to acknowledge our own vulnerabilities and limitations, and, in doing so, recognize something familiar in the people around us.
“Humor cannot be fragmented,” he said. “When something is funny, it's funny to people who think one way and people who think another.”
Alejandro G. Iñárritu says Digger is about human nature, not politics
© ProvidedIt's a sentiment that sits at the heart of Digger, a film that Iñárritu hopes will reach audiences beyond their political beliefs or personal perspectives - despite the obvious similarities of what's happening in the United States government. And while some might leave feeling like the film is political, the writer and director says that's not the case.
He said he isn't interested in making a movie for one particular person or group. When I asked whether he would want President Donald Trump to see it, his answer was straightforward. “I'd like everyone to see it. Honestly, it's not made for anyone. It's made for the world.”
The Oscar-winning director explained that the themes in Digger go far beyond the political headlines that might come to mind when watching a story about power and a looming catastrophe. “This film transcends politics,” he told me. “This film is about human nature.”
He described the story as one of the oldest ever told, revisited countless times throughout history: "It's the story of power, insatiable ambition, responsibility, irresponsibility, and our struggle against the reality we live in."
“We invent our own stories so we can have our narratives, defend our interests, and offer solutions to problems that we created, only to create a new problem without being able to stop,” he said.
Humans find ways to justify our own decisions while criticizing those made by others. He sees that behavior everywhere, not just in politics. “It's our nature in every area, in our families, at work,” he said. "That's why I'd like everyone to see it."
Iñárritu has never been a filmmaker who shies away from uncomfortable questions. With Digger, he is once again exploring human behavior through a story that pushes its characters into extraordinary circumstances.
What surprised Alejandro G. Iñárritu about Tom Cruise
© ProvidedWorking with Cruise also allowed Iñárritu to explore a different side of one of Hollywood's most recognizable stars.
When I asked what surprised him most about the actor, he didn't immediately point to his physical transformation or the demands of the role.
"I think, on a human level, his generosity and positivity, and his precision as an actor," he said.
© ProvidedThe director then talked about his precision. "He's someone who has such command of language and his body. His micro-decisions with his body are as precise and as risky as when he jumps off a building," Iñárritu said. “It's an emotional stunt.”
He also praised Cruise's ability to find a rhythm with the camera. "His mastery of finding the character and dancing with the camera, knowing every movement and doing it with exceptional rhythm - all of that surprised me," he added.
The film stars Cruise alongside Riz Ahmed, Sandra Hüller, John Goodman, Jesse Plemons and Michael Stuhlbarg. It opens in theaters in North America on October 2, 2026.
