Alejandro G. Iñárritu Defends His Polarizing Climate Satire ‘Digger’

Alejandro G. Iñárritu says the strong reactions to his new film, ‘Digger,’ are intentional. The Mexican filmmaker described the movie as a provocative satire about climate change, corporate power, and propaganda, with Tom Cruise playing an exaggerated oil magnate. Rather than offering clear answers, the film uses a bold conceptual style and a narrative twist designed to blur the boundary between truth and reality. Iñárritu argued that contemporary culture often prioritizes attention, likes, discomfort, and provocation, and that the film reflects that environment. Although critics have largely responded negatively and the movie’s opening box-office performance has been weak, Iñárritu said he prefers a polarized response to indifference. He explained that he first conceived the idea while making his Oscar-winning drama ‘The Revenant’ in 2015. The project was developed from 2017 onward with four co-writers and faced repeated setbacks; according to Iñárritu, it fell apart three times and cost him three years of work. He continued pursuing it because he believes its themes remain urgent. While acknowledging that ‘Digger’ is not flawless, he said he enjoys taking creative risks and is comfortable with the film generating strong opinions. The article portrays the director as unapologetic about making a difficult, confrontational work rather than a broadly accessible one.