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DIGGER MOVIE REVIEW
Director/Co-writer of Digger Alejandro G. Iñárritu (Birdman) has made a film that is structured in such a way that it is completely impossible to discuss without giving away the game it plays with the audience. Thus, this Highly Suspect Review of the film spends only a little time upfront in non-spoiler territory before diving into a review that fully reveals all the moving parts. We give full warning before we get there. The story follows Digger Rockwell (Tom Cruise) an elderly and unimaginably wealthy and powerful oil baron. Everyone trembles before him and his Texas-style loud-mouthed swagger, except possibly his half-sister Emma (Sandra Hüller). When he is informed that his gigantic drilling project in Greenland has gone awry in the worst possible projected sense and the effects are going to put humanity into an environmental disaster immediately of proportions wildly beyond any capacity to cover-up or ignore, he swings into action. But that is only the tip of the gigantic apocalyptic iceberg of the story Iñárritu is telling, and he’s not always telling you everything. Deliberately heightened performances give this the feel of a comedy but despite John Goodman, Riz Ahmed, Michael Stuhlbarg and more being all-in, some of us were too horrified by the scenario playing out to be able to laugh. Chris, Wright, Eric, Marco, and Spidermike team up to try to get a handle on the all but unhandleable and deeply divisive Digger and decide whether it’s great or terrible, and whether they love or hate it. Honestly, we’re still not entirely sure.
DIRECTED BY: Alejandro G. Iñárritu
STARRING: Tom Cruise, Riz Ahmed, John Goodman, Sandra Hüller, Michael Stuhlbarg, Jesse Plemons, Robert John Burke, Emma D’Arcy, Burn Gorman, Sophie Wilde, Pip Torrens, Mercedes Hernández, Danny Kirrane, Corey Johnson
YOUR REVIEWERS
Christopher Lawrence Cox (Founder, Da Boss, Digital Noise, Highly Suspect Reviews, Screener Squad, Deliberations of Doom)
Born in the wilds of northern Virginia, Chris managed to put all of his survival skills to use and barely escaped with his life to Austin Texas in 1992 where ever since he’s dabbled in everything from plumber’s assistant to sandwich maker, from band to bar and theater management. An opportunity to see theatrical release films for free by becoming a critic on a local public access show called “The Reel Deal” turned into a full-time job when Chris and his friends decided to take it to the internet. They built the site Spill.com, adding multiple podcasts and animated features, to no small amount of success. During this time, a fortuitous friendship sprung up between Chris and young Brian Salisbury, who was also a local film critic, and they merged their forces of will, and their laundry list of ideas for shows, to eventually build this community of critics. While Brian eventually followed his heart to a new family, Chris continues on with a cast of colorful folks from all over the country (and a few others).
Wright Sulek (The Other Boss, Trash in the Can, Digital Noise, Highly Suspect Reviews, One Man’s Trash, Screener Squad)
Wright hails from the northern suburbs of Dallas, Texas. His passion for filmmaking brought him to Austin to study and make movies. Since then he’s had his hand in acting, writing, and directing his own short films with numerous like-minded film geeks he’s met along his journey. His newest interest has brought him into the podcasting world. He co-hosted a few different movie related podcasts such as ‘And Now This’ and ‘The Match Cut’. He currently co-hosts with longtime friend, Eric Samaniego, where they talk shop about the grimiest, trashiest, lost gems of movies on their show, ‘Trash in the Can’. Wright also guests and hosts reviews on Screener Squad and Highly Suspect Reviews as well as co-hosts Digital Noise with Chris Cox. As of 2024, Wright has now been inducted into the Austin Film Critics Association as well as co-owns the One of Us network with Chris Cox.
Marco Noyola (Digital Noise, Highly Suspect Reviews, Screener Squad, Audio Editor)
By day, Marco is a mild-mannered office worker, but by night he is a mild-mannered movie watcher. He does other mild-mannered stuff too.
“I’m not a film critic. I just play one on the Internet.”
Michael Riojas (Screener Squad, Highly Suspect Reviews)
The man with the ever-changing nicknames. Born in Austin, Riojas was rocketed to Del Rio, Texas, a literal Smallville. In his youth, he was bitten by a radioactive… okay, look. Mike is not very good at this whole “talking about himself” thing. But he has been so obsessed with comics, video games, and anime since childhood- that if one has to choose between listening to Joe Quesada or Mike over any obscure Spider-Man trivia, they go to him (or, at least Martin Thomas once said so). He is also a big fan of “Ghostbusters” (he even owns his own jumpsuit and two, that’s right, TWO proton packs!), collects toys and video games, and will defend “Superman IV: The Quest for Peace” if provoked. He lives in Austin with his beloved Dachshund-Maltese and trusted sidekick, Dean. He can also be heard on RageSelect. He can be found on Twitter and Instagram.
Eric Samaniego (Trash in the Can, Heart/Felt, Make a Noise, Highly Suspect Reviews)
Eric Samaniego is a multi-award show watching, sometimes comedian, sometimes writer who began life as a Muppet and 1930s screwball comedy obsessed goon and still carries a torch for all things felt, funny, and a little bit unhinged. With a passion for genre films, poor taste, and whiskey, he co-hosts Trash in the Can, a podcast that digs through cinema’s dustbin in search of the best worst movies alongside longtime co-conspirator Wright Sulek. Eric and Wright also bring their love of cinematic oddities to the big screen with One Man’s Trash, a monthly live screening series at Violet Crown Cinema in Austin, Texas, spotlighting cult classics, forgotten flops, and anything proudly wearing the label “so bad it’s good.” He also hosted Heart/Felt, a limited podcast series celebrating the 70th anniversary of The Muppets and the enduring legacy of Jim Henson. He has a new limited series on One of Us that explores the films and life of comedy legend Mel Brooks called Make a Noise. When not podcasting, Eric serves as an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who was the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797.
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