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Tom Cruise’s $350m ‘flop’ Digger is actually a masterpiece

October 23, 2026 · 12 min

Show notes

Most critics have Digger down as a dud. But what if they’re wrong? Ben Affleck says Digger’s a “pretty ambitious, interesting movie made by interesting people that have talent”, and our guest Jill Rowbotham, Senior Editor of Culture agrees.
With Oscar-darling Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu directing and Tom Cruise leading a cast of heavy hitters, Digger’s pedigree is undeniable. So are the rough reviews justified, or are we really just seeing a schoolyard-style pile-on among critics? 

Read more about this story at theaustralian.com.au and see the video by subscribing to our YouTube channel.

Tom Cruise has made a colossal flop. It’s brilliant

Tom Cruise delivers an exhausting misfire in new satire Digger

The weekend edition of The Front is co-produced by Claire Harvey and Jasper Leak. The host is Claire Harvey. Audio production and editing by Jasper Leak who also composed our theme.

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