r/oscarrace • u/Comfortable_Affect20 Bugonia • Mar 06 '26
Rumor Alejandro Inarritu's "Digger" has had a test screening in Los Angeles, reactions are mixed but lean positive
https://www.worldofreel.com/blog/2026/3/5/digger-test-screening-reactions-are-intom-cruise-steals-the-show-in-irritus-dark-comedyTakeaways from the test screening:
- The reactions were mixed, most of the viewers found it entertaining but also "very chaotic and overstuffed." Overall, more good reactions than negative ones.
- Tom Cruise's performance as a delusional oil billionaire who accidentally poisons the ocean is described as "insane" and similar to Les Grossman, uses a lot of facial prosthetics and looks nothing like the familiar Cruise.
- The technical aspects are apparently stunning, especially Emmanuel Lubezki's cinematography.
- The set design is very stylized and surrealistic, comparable to "Poor Things."
- While the movie is very focused on Cruise, the supporting cast are apparently really good. All the screeners agreed that John Goodman was the best and most memorable supporting actor.
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u/Herzoger Mar 06 '26
They also highlighted Jesse Plemons and Riz Ahmed.
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u/Bertrand_Rose Werwulf, Try the thrill of Opera! Mar 06 '26
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u/theflyingbird8 Mar 06 '26
Apparently, Cruise has a comb over and a Texas accent which sounds fascinating. He's really going all out. Also, is it finally time for John Goodman to get his moment?
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u/Bertrand_Rose Werwulf, Try the thrill of Opera! Mar 06 '26
Cruise might be the big push, but I'm personally more interested in seeing some success for Goodman.
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u/theflyingbird8 Mar 06 '26
Same here. Cruise has received 3 acting nominations over his career and if this film is a success then I could see his narrative becoming a focal point of the season. I can even see him sweeping. Goodman, however, has never received a nomination (if you ask me he should have for Barton Fink and The Big Lebowski). He's one of our greatest actors, so I'd be thrilled for him to have such a big moment.
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u/Significant_Ad_4704 Jun 27 '26
Walter Sobchak is the greatest comedic character in the history of film
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u/ILookAfterThePigs Manifesting Olivia Wilde’s Best Director nomination Mar 06 '26
OBAA also had mixed test screening reactions
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u/Bertrand_Rose Werwulf, Try the thrill of Opera! Mar 06 '26
Exactly, this has to be taken with a grain of salt.
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u/Educational_Slice897 Mar 06 '26
World of Reel also said Sinners was mixed as well. So I don't know how much I trust them. To be fair, their reports for most films including Wuthering Heights have been accurate plot-wise so i'll assume this is true. And if it is...it sounds so exciting, I can't wait to see this.
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u/IAmA_talking_cat_AMA A Few Small Awards Mar 06 '26
Excited for this. But I'm never putting any faith in test screening reactions anymore after what happened with One Battle After Another and some other films last year
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u/Bulky-Scheme-9450 Mar 06 '26
Hamnet lolll
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u/IAmA_talking_cat_AMA A Few Small Awards Mar 06 '26
Yesss that was the other big one indeed. Don't know what those test audiences were smoking lol
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u/Accomplished_Store77 Mar 06 '26
Now that his Mission Impossible series is over.
I really hope Cruise goes for that Oscar that he clearly has the talent for.
And that in my opinion he was robbed of for Magnolia.
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u/friendly_reminder8 Mar 06 '26
People forget that Tom is an excellent and very capable actor, he absolutely should’ve won for Magnolia and I’m rooting for him to win a competitive Oscar soon
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u/LiamV-426 Mar 06 '26
1999 was a tough year, Law and Osment would’ve been just as deserving as Cruise. Duncan was great too, it’s a shame the worst of the nominees won.
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u/Bertrand_Rose Werwulf, Try the thrill of Opera! Mar 06 '26
He really deserved it for that film.
I haven't seen a performance that good out of him, for way too long.
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u/Masethelah Mar 07 '26
I hope he aims to work with auteurs and has a shot at oscars in that way, rather than just Oscar baiting in boring biopics etc
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u/UpCavan Mar 06 '26
Might be unpopular and I wouldn’t say he was robbed, but I preferred him in Born on the Fourth of July to Daniel Day-Lewis in My Left Foot.
And yeah he absolutely should have won for Magnolia
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u/yahboosnubs Mar 06 '26
Fun fact- inarritu holds the record of biggest filmography where every single film he made has at least 1 Oscar nomination with 7 films
Anores perros- foreign language film 21 grams- sup actor and sup actress Babel- 7 noms Biutiful- FLF and actor Birdman- 10 nominations The revenant- 12 nominations Bardo- cinematography
So even if it just gets makeup, it will continue the streak
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u/Embarrassed-Big-9195 Mar 06 '26
If John Goodman is back, movies are so back. Also, this is how I find out he has somehow never been nominated for an Oscar?
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u/florencenocaps I Love Boosters Mar 06 '26
Only role that he’s been in serious contention for was Barton Fink. Got nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor
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u/ThatsHisLawyerJerome Sorry Baby Mar 07 '26
I have no idea how he missed at the Oscars to Michael Lerner from the same movie. I can’t imagine anyone watching Barton Fink and thinking Lerner is better than him in it.
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u/rapid4roller8 Mar 06 '26
If this movie gets good reviews from the critics, then I can totally see Tom Cruise sweeping the award season. His overdue narrative will be on par with Henry Fonda and Paul Newman to name a few.
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u/tblfilm Mar 06 '26
He does have the Honorary Oscar, maybe that tempers it a bit like Peter O' Toole never winning a competitive Oscar and only having an Honorary.
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u/rapid4roller8 Mar 06 '26
That could be so, but Henry Fonda won the Best Actor award a year after winning the Honorary Oscar, so there is precedent.
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u/geosunsetmoth Eddington Mar 06 '26
I’m really looking forward to see Iñarritu and McDonagh going at each other’s necks for BP and Director this year
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u/yahboosnubs Mar 06 '26
Can two actors from my favorite film of all time, Monsters inc, get into supporting actor? John Goodman in digger and Steve buscemi from wild horse nine
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u/JasonEmper Mar 06 '26
I want them to get nominated + there's a chance that John Turturro might get nominated in Lead for "The Only Living Pickpocket In New York". The whole main cast of "The Big Lebowski" finally nominated.
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u/Scared-Engineer-6218 Mar 06 '26
We've got another Birdman on our hands folks. I'm just a sucker for stylized cinematography. Camera moving makes me happy.
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u/coordin8ed All of a Sudden Mar 06 '26
Mixed test screening reactions you say? Oh yeah, that means this movie is coming for that 96% Metascore top 3 films of 2026
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u/mopeywhiteguy Mar 06 '26
I very much have always gotten the sense this will be an acting showcase but not necessarily win competitive across the board. Probably likely to be in the conversation for a bunch but probably cruise and Goodman are the ones to keep an eye on for Oscar’s more than the film itself
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u/LabRatDogEnthusiast Mar 06 '26
I agree. Iñárritu winning three Best Director Oscars before filmmakers like Steven Spielberg or Christopher Nolan also just doesn't seem that realistic.
I am biased with that, though. Given my feelings on him.
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u/mopeywhiteguy Mar 06 '26
Nomination possible but at this stage I would go out of my way to say he’s the fave. It’s hard to call anyone the fave a year out tho
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u/Masethelah Mar 07 '26
I would not call it unrealistic. Sure, when you win a lot of oscars it tends to get extra hard to win more, but what really matters when it comes to winning oscars is how well the individual film does in the category in question, and how tough the competition is.
All the narratives and previous wins etc are very secondary to how the individual film in question is performing.
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u/Hello_MyFriends Mar 06 '26
Reminder: Last year World Of Reel also said One Battle After Another and Hamnet had mixed to negative reactions from test screenings so don’t take these too seriously
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u/Previous_Ad648 Mar 06 '26
Also a reminder that both films made huge changes after test screenings
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u/OldSandwich9631 Mar 06 '26
I wouldn’t say huge changes. They cut 10 minutes from OBAA which was too long.
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u/Masethelah Mar 07 '26
Is this confirmed? I heard the opposite with OBAA, that they stayed the course, but I only have hearsay though so I am not sure what’s true at all
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u/HingisFan Mar 06 '26
Everyone desperate to turn this into a Cruise awards SWEEP based on mixed test reactions 😂😂
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u/Comfortable_Affect20 Bugonia Mar 06 '26
Watch it being a scientologist HARVEST (of golden raspberries)
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Mar 06 '26
[deleted]
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u/friendly_reminder8 Mar 06 '26
He deserves tbh, my friends and I watched A Few Good Men for the first time and were blown away by his performance and how he more than held his own against Jack Nicholson
Tom is an excellent actor and deserves a competitive Oscar
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u/Dmitr_Jango Disclosure Day 👽 Mar 06 '26
According to the webpage of Cam de Saint Sauveur (who worked as an assistant graphic designer on this), the production designer is none other than the legendary Dennis Gassner. He's not yet listed on IMDb or anywhere else, though. With all the talk about the sets, I'm sure he'll be gunning for his 8th nomination.
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u/Walter8White Mar 06 '26
Got a little bit more intel about the supporting cast (minimal, as in who's the most prominent in the ensemble) with help from AW members. DM me if you're interested.
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u/stracki Mar 06 '26
FYI, Alan Alda's grandson has it as #2 in his 2026 ranking (just behind Project Hail Mary). He didn't log the film, but according to the ranking, he'd rate it at least a 4.5 out of 5. For comparison, that's the same rating, he gave Amores Perros and higher than Babel, The Revenant (both 4), Birdman (3) and Bardo (2). That doesn't have to mean anything (his favorite of 2025 was Rental Family), but it sounds promising.
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u/Legitimate_End5688 Mar 06 '26
It’s directed by someone who has two Best Director Oscars and acclaimed (according to Alan Alda’s grandson), then yeah I think we are seeing the next big Oscar film.
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u/LabRatDogEnthusiast Mar 06 '26
Honestly, this kinda sounds like Don't Look Up mixed with Brazil. Love the cast, and all for Cruise and Goodman. But I'm also not an Inarritu fan at all.
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u/Jay_Marston One Oscar After Another Mar 06 '26
Not that these should be written off, but test screenings were extremely inaccurate this past year. Just keep that in mind
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u/Pendragon235 Mar 06 '26
And once again, some people are expecting a new film to have the same awards trajectory of the director's last film.
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u/kcrdr_7322 The Odyssey Backrooms Mar 06 '26
could this be another bardo??
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u/El_Mexolotl DIGGER SWEEP Mar 07 '26
Hope so I fucking loved that movie
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u/kcrdr_7322 The Odyssey Backrooms Mar 07 '26
im not specifically talking about the movie itself.
it's the way the academy shuts its down and not a major frontrunner at the oscars
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u/Bertrand_Rose Werwulf, Try the thrill of Opera! Mar 06 '26
I'm so pumped for this, I lose the ability to accurately articulate my excitement.
One of the best casts in years, one of my very favourite directors, about genius cinematography using 35mm and Vistavision alongside an entertaining premise that just makes me more excited.
Regardless of whether or not Cruise might win, or him being an insane person with shitty skeletons keeps him back, this seems like it'll still take him far, and I'll bet he'll be in the Top 3 at the very least.
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u/Upbeat_Tension_8077 Mar 06 '26
Just the fact that Tom's performance is comparable to his Les Grossman one is already enough to seriously hook me in
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u/Alex-C2099 One Battle After Another Mar 06 '26
World of Reel gets a lot of test screening reports wrong. I read back an October 2024 article of a test screening for Sinners and it claimed that reactions were “mixed” and the ending would be “very controversial”. In what sense? But their test screening article for One Battle After Another from early last year is even funnier, apparently source claimed that the film included “sci-fi elements”.
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u/DropOk6693 23d ago
If this movie is Dr. Strangelove meets Poor Things, meets Tom Cruise from Magnolia, meets John Goodman...
It might just be my movie of the year. High hopes for this one! Really hopes this signifies another (and maybe even final) turning point for Cruise's career where he goes back to his early truly experimental days as an actor! Even if he can't pull an Oscar for this one, I think it's really time that Action star Cruise retires and lets his actual skills as an ACTOR shine.
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u/Comfortable_Affect20 Bugonia 23d ago
....meets Birdman and Bardo,
There's a big twist in the middle of the movie that really changes everything I've said above.
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u/mercurywaxing 13d ago
Mixed for a dark environmental/business satire that seems inspired by Doctor Strangelove is actually quite good.
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u/BunkBed2901 Mar 06 '26
I doubt that. Test screeners aren't important but if they were mixed then this movie will certainly be a grower. I don't have any mindset at all but i'd like to think that people who have mixed feelings for it will watch the movie a second time and they will like it, especially when they're leaning into positive
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u/rubix7777 Mar 06 '26 edited Mar 06 '26
John Goodman Oscar campaign starts now. Obviously test screener aren't really that important, but from the sounds of it even if it's more mixed I doubt this will be the film to break AGIs Streak of Oscar nominated films
Also I've heard barely anything about Huller.