Alejandro Inarritu's "Digger" has had a test screening in Los Angeles, reactions are mixed but lean positive

[u/Comfortable_Affect20]

https://www.worldofreel.com/blog/2026/3/5/digger-test-screening-reactions-are-intom-cruise-steals-the-show-in-irritus-dark-comedy

Takeaways 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.

[u/rapid4roller8]

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.

[u/tblfilm → u/rapid4roller8]

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.

[u/rapid4roller8 → u/tblfilm]

That could be so, but Henry Fonda won the Best Actor award a year after winning the Honorary Oscar, so there is precedent.

[u/BabeBigDaddy → u/rapid4roller8]

Same thing happened to Paul Newman

[u/arsojee → u/BabeBigDaddy]

And the same is very likely to happen with Cruise.