Two-time Oscar-winning director Alejandro González Iñárritu teaming up with America’s biggest movie star Tom Cruise is the kind of collaboration that should get everyone excited. But after the trailers dropped for their new $180 million feature, it was pretty clear this movie wasn’t made for the masses. In fact, you can sense it furiously striving to be as divisive as possible and then using that division as a sales pitch. Judging by the early box office numbers, that clearly didn’t work.

Some will certainly consider “Digger” to be a bold and fearless swing by the acclaimed Mexican director. But for my money, Iñárritu’s previous film, 2022’s equally divisive “Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths”, was a far more audacious project. It was weird, surreal, and extravagantly self-indulgent. Yet it was a deeply personal and emotionally honest self-reflection. Iñárritu’s latest is its own kind of crazy yet without even a tinge of genuine humanity.

Rarely has a movie been more in love with itself than “Digger”. When not drowning us in pomp and bombast, the movie spends its time sanctimoniously screaming at the top of its lungs about capitalism and climate change while vainly hiding its finger-wagging behind a see-through veil of absurdity and nonsense. It never hides its intent to be a full-blown satire. But the surface-level preachiness and glaring lack of laughs weigh it all down. It ends up being too shallow to be challenging and too obnoxious to be funny.

To Cruise’s credit, he fully commits to playing Digger Rockwell, an outlandish oil tycoon who some consider to be the most powerful man in the world. With his wild gray hair, pasty white skin, and go-for-broke nuttiness, Cruise’s performance is unlike anything he has done before. His Digger is Iñárritu’s central character, main villain, and biggest punchline, who sets out to save the world from an environmental catastrophe that his company created.

Iñárritu navigates his over-the-top yet toothless satire with the subtly of an out of control freight train. Working from an exasperating script he co-wrote with Sabina Berman, Alexander Dinelaris, and Nicolás Giacobone, Iñárritu often finds himself trapped in between talking down to his audience through self-righteous sermonizing and completely losing them amid the numbingly non-stop antics that mutes any sense of urgency in his message.

It’s hard to fault Cruise who seems to be doing all that’s asked of him. As Digger he channels everything from his very own Les Grossman to Texas businessman and presidential candidate Ross Perot. It’s Digger’s negligence that triggers a destructive chain of events at his oil operation in Greenland, which sends an ice shelf 5x the size of Washington DC barreling towards Europe. With impact predicted within three days and casualties expected to be in the hundreds of thousands, Digger joins the government’s top cronies in shaping the narrative to their benefit.

Digger’s chief ally is US President Compson (John Goodman) who colluded with Rockwell United to extract oil from Greenland and Alaska. Compson is every bit as preposterous as Digger, with Goodman relentlessly shouting into oblivion while repeatedly using his character’s rectal cancer as a gag. Surrounding Compson is his moronic cabinet who are nothing more than a collection of conservative caricatures. And the jokes we get from them are some of the laziest the film offers.

“Digger” features many more talented performers who find themselves hemmed in by the movie’s overpowering self-indulgence. Sandra Hüller, Riz Ahmed, Michael Stuhlbarg, Jesse Plemons, Robert John Burke, Burn Gorman, Emma D’Arcy – some have good moments, but they all find themselves wasted to different degrees. But ultimately the movie revolves around Cruise who certainly grabs the most attention. The problem is Digger never comes across as a real character. Instead it’s as if Cruise is trapped in a never-ending series of unfunny Saturday Night Live skits.

The one place “Digger” does excel is with its visuals. Iñárritu is too good of a craftsman for this not to be a thoroughly impressive spectacle from its cinematography to the production design. But a great cast and eye-popping craftsmanship can’t save “Digger” from being a grueling endurance test, all the way through to its unearned self-congratulatory ending. It’s brazenly ridiculous, often confounding, and at times downright annoying. “Digger” will certainly get people talking. And I’m betting much of the chatter will be asking how talents like Iñárritu and Cruise could miss so badly.

VERDICT – 1.5 STARS

In the new film “The Deputy”, Toby Sawyer doesn’t leave the most flattering first impression. He comes off as a hapless irresponsible deadbeat, plagued by selfish ambition and poor judgement. Toby has big dreams of becoming a full-time sheriff’s deputy. So much so that he accepts a low-paying part-time job at the Norman County Sheriff’s Department rather than better paying work at a nearby fertilizer plant, much to the chagrin of his frustrated girlfriend. But Toby gets the chance to prove himself to everyone over the course of one wild, violent, and unpredictable night.

That’s the basic premise for director Matt Sukkar’s feature directorial debut, “The Deputy”. Written by Carlo Bernard, this black comedy crime thriller is based on the 2009 novel of the same name by Victor Gischler. It’s a movie that leans into its rundown small-town setting. It relies heavily on the quirky and colorful community. And it tells a story that is equal parts gritty, grounded, and goofy. It doesn’t always find the right balance between them. But it keeps our attention, and it routinely surprises us in some entertaining ways.

Early one evening, Toby (played with quiet sincerity by Duke Nicholson) is called in to work by Sheriff Frank Krueger (William H. Macy). He’s told the matter is urgent, so he clips his holster onto his flannel sleep pants, pins his badge on his ripped up t-shirt, heads out of his beat-up mobile home and heads into town. There he learns that a man named Luke Jordan has been shot and killed, his body left lying on the pavement next to his pickup truck.

With his chief deputy still not there, Sheriff Krueger tasks Toby with watching over the body until the coroner comes while he drives out to inform the Jordan family of Luke’s death. It shouldn’t be that hard of a job for Toby. But a couple of really dumb choices lead to Luke’s body disappearing and Toby wondering who took it. Chief Deputy Billy Banks (Stephen Dorff) finally arrives, and after hearing of Toby’s debacle, angrily sends him home.

But Toby’s night is far from over. Before long he finds himself trapped in a web of human trafficking, dirty money, violent Mexican coyotes, and small-town corruption. To complicate matters even more, Toby’s girlfriend Doris (Billie Lourd) takes off, leaving him with their infant son. Ultimately Toby is forced to step up, take responsibility, and fight for his life and his little town as the violence escalates to near comical extremes.

Sukkar has a blast maneuvering his unlikely protagonist from one difficult scenario to the next. He does so with an ample amount of thrills and some shocking jolts of violence, often when you’re least expecting it. Even more, he routinely injects moments of pitch-black humor to ensure things never get too heavy. But best of all, Sukkar always keeps us guessing. He throws us one curveball after another. And while they don’t all hit their mark, the story’s unpredictability is a welcomed treat.

All of that said, it does feel as if chunks of the story are missing. It’s not a significant enough issue to completely undermine the central narrative. But it left me with too many fairly obvious questions that I couldn’t answer – questions that I’m sure were answered in the book. The movie also introduces several themes that it essentially does nothing with. Still, “The Deputy” is a pulpy, character-rich genre cocktail that never ceases to entertain or surprise its audience.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS

It seems as if each month brings along new additions to the ever-growing sharksploitation genre. These shark-infested concoctions have come in all shapes and sizes, from moderately budgeted shark thrillers to shamelessly campy B-movie romps. Of course you can always expect some stinkers when you have such a crowded pool. But most understand the kind of straightforward entertainment their audiences want, and they often deliver in ways that keep fans circling back for more.

The latest sharksploitation entry is “The Devil’s Mouth”, a Prime Video Original that sticks pretty close to the established survival thriller formula. You know the one – a group of college cohorts venture out to an exotic location for some frisky fun on the water only to become chum for the movie’s real star, a ferocious man-eating shark. That is this movie in a nutshell, although it does throw in a few ideas of its own that stand out, namely a cool location and some slightly interesting character dynamics.

Kathryn Newton plays Sara, the fifth-wheel from a group of five college “friends” on a summer trip to Thailand. She’s joined by her pampered and overly assertive best friend Max (Lana Condor), Max’s ‘whatever” boyfriend James (Nico Hiraga), their mutual friend Adrienne (Tommi Rose), and Adrienne’s douchy new beau, Greg (Gavin Casalegno). The two couples make sure to involve Sara in all of their frolicking, but she can’t help but feel like the odd person out.

But deep down there are relationship issues that Sara has yet to acknowledge. It’s mostly seen in Max’s controlling nature. Max feels compelled to control everything and she expects everyone to fall in line. It’s especially true of Sara, who Max has no problem guilting into doing whatever she wants. Even James sees it, but he’s too spineless to say anything about it. Layers peel from their complicated friendship once the film’s central conflict comes into play.

The group’s vacation turns to terror after they set out to tour a network of underwater caves. They meet up with their guide, Wat (Tayme Thapthimthong) who takes them by kayak to the entrance of “The Devil’s Mouth”. The six begin their underground adventure, making their way from chamber to chamber. But once deep inside the dark labyrinthine cave system, they discover they are not alone. Among them is an angry and ferociously territorial shark who was swept in by the tide. He’s hungry and our six explorers would make a tasty meal.

Director Jeff Wadlow ratchets down on the familiar survival elements as the characters find themselves in one harrowing situation after another. It’s hard to muster much sympathy for anyone outside of Wat, who had the ultimate misfortune of being stuck with the five obnoxious brats. But in fairness, we do see Sara evolve over time. Not a lot, but enough to say something about her character. Everyone else is stuck in one gear and we never really care if they make it out or not.

The character work may not be great, but Wadlow does make good use of his setting and environments. The sense of being trapped in small, dark, unknown spaces generates some legitimate tension, at least until it begins to feel repetitive. He also concocts some ridiculous but fun shark action. Wadlow comes up with an assortment of attacks from the man-eating menace, some that will make you jump and others that will make you laugh. Admittedly it’s pretty entertaining.

“The Devil’s Mouth” does nothing to redefine the sharksploitation model. Instead it embraces the simplest mechanics of the genre, adding a few strokes of its own along the way. It’s still plagued by annoying characters whose mind-boggling decision-making leads the story down the most predictable route imaginable. But the shark is mean, dangerous, and it eats people. So in that respect, genre fans can expect to get exactly what they’re looking for.

VERDICT – 2.5 STARS

The legend of Robin Hood has been told on screen in a wild variety of ways. Their range has included Errol Flynn’s 1938 swashbuckling classic, Disney’s 1973 animated reimagining, Kevin Costner’s 1991 popcorn blockbuster, the hysterical 1993 spoof from Mel Brooks, and the more serious-minded 2010 Ridley Scott telling. The latest is the aptly titled “The Death of Robin Hood” and it is dramatically different from any other iteration that came before it.

“The Death of Robin Hood” doesn’t fit into any of the more popular molds that we have seen before. There’s nothing light, merry, or charming about it. Instead, it’s a bleak and gritty adaptation of the 17th-century ballad “Robin Hood’s Death”. Writer-director Michael Sarnoski (“Pig”, “A Quiet Place: Day One”) offers up a fresh and compelling reimagining of Robin Hood. He builds a fascinating character arc that’s rooted in savage violence but evolves into a deeper and almost meditative study of guilt, self-forgiveness, and mortality.

Sarnoski’s vision is impressive on its own. But it would never be fully realized without the gravitas brought by the film’s star, Hugh Jackman. With his long stringy gray hair, matching beard, weathered skin, and world-weary eyes, Jackman deftly conveys the numerous layers to this Robin. He’s legitimately terrifying as a murderous outlaw whose true self defies the local legend describing him as a hero who “protects the meek”. Yet he’s grown to despise the man he has become. He is haunted by the generations of his victims and he sees no moral reckoning outside of the worthy death he longs for.

The first 30 minutes gives us a good taste of the man Robin has been. Set in 1247, these early scenes are grisly and violent, with Sarnoski destroying the Robin Hood myth that we and the locals have clinged to. It’s most viscerally realized when Robin is visited by his longest and most loyal friend, Little John (Bill Skarsgård). Now living under the name Edward, John has made a new life for himself with his beloved wife and their young daughter.

But John has come to his old friend in desperate need of help. He recruits Robin to help him rescue his family and retake his farm from the clutches of some old enemies. The gruesome chain of events that follow shock by the sheer intensity of the violence. Brutes soaked in blood and caked in mud fight with a primal ferocity, crushing bones with maces, puncturing organs with jagged blades, searing flesh with burning torches. It’s pure savagery which Sarnoski visualizes with unflinching clarity.

Robin is seriously injured and later wakes up at a remote island priory under the care of an abbess named Sister Brigid (Jodie Comer) who begins nursing him back to health. It’s here that the film takes a dramatic turn, shifting its focus from Robin as a man of violence to Robin as a shattered soul who is crumbling under the weight of his own guilt. He keeps his identity hidden and begins blending in with the others being cared for by Sister Brigid, from orphan children to a wise but nameless leper (Murray Bartlett).

But Robin’s old life threatens to resurface after the unexpected reappearance of Little John’s traumatized daughter, Margaret (movingly played by newcomer Faith Delaney). She brings with her a looming sense of danger from the mainland that lasts for the remainder of the film. Yet Sarnoski remains committed to methodically maneuvering us through Robin’s internal reckoning. It’s more than simply deromanticizing of a myth. He takes his time exploring his more personal interests, right through to the payoff which is itself counter to what we expect.

A key reason for the film’s effectiveness can be found in Jackman’s deeply committed performance. It’s stripped-down and solemn yet full of conviction as the 57-year-old star balances bearing and releasing the emotional weight of past sins. Comer too is a key strength, portraying Sister Brigid as sturdy and stoic yet tender in moments that finally allow her to let down her guard. And all are canvassed by the richly textured 35mm cinematography of DP Pat Scola. There’s never a moment where the film doesn’t impress through his lens.

“The Death of Robin Hood” is the kind of revisionist counter-programming that won’t be for everyone. Purists hoping for another playful spin on the noble bandit who steals from the rich and gives to the poor won’t find that here. Instead, this film is for those interested in looking beyond the myth. And anyone hoping for something bigger and more blockbustery will be confounded by the more intimate scale. It’s more aimed at those wanting a breather from summer popcorn productions. In those regards, Michael Sarnoski hits exactly what he aims for. And I was enthralled the entire way.

VERDICT – 4.5 STARS

The father of the summer blockbuster returns to a genre that gave birth to some of his biggest movies. Steven Spielberg jumps back into the cinematic world of science-fiction with “Disclosure Day”. It’s the latest sci-fi venture from the filmmaker who gave us “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”, “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial”, “Minority Report”, “War of the Worlds”, and so on. His latest is another ambitious swing. But it’s not one that will leave the same lasting impression as his other films.

“Disclosure Day” sees Spielberg reteaming with his frequent collaborator, screenwriter David Koepp. Together they tap into Spielberg’s long held fascination with the unexplained. And high on his list of the unexplained is the simple question – are we alone in the universe? That question drives “Disclosure Day” while also asking how much the government knows and how long have they been keeping it from us?

That’s more than enough for a compelling movie, especially with Steven Spielberg at the helm. We certainly get glimmers of that potential in “Disclosure Day”. When at its best, it plays like an extended conspiracy episode of “The X-Files”. At its worst, it’s a sluggishly delivered thriller that struggles to maintain any real suspense and that isn’t nearly as heady as it aims to be. More frustrating, after an overly long buildup, it hits us with an ending that lands with a surprisingly uninspired thud.

That said, “Disclosure Day” has its strengths, one of them being the cast. Josh O‘Connor plays Daniel Kellner, a cybersecurity expert turned whistleblower who steals long hidden classified information regarding alien life from a secret deep-state contractor called the Wardex Corporation. As a former employee of Wardex, Daniel also swiped a mysterious piece of alien technology which immediately puts him in the crosshairs of the company’s ruthless CEO, Noah Scanlon (Colin Firth). Daniel is forced to go on the run, along with his former girlfriend Jane (Eve Hewson) who Noah has targeted.

Meanwhile in Kansas City, a local TV weather woman named Margaret Fairchild (Emily Blunt), begins having unexplainable episodes. She suddenly has strange premonitions and speaks in languages she doesn’t know. It comes to a head after she uncontrollably starts talking in an otherworldly tongue while live on the air. Her actions stuns her colleagues and worries her slub of a boyfriend, Jackson (Wyatt Russell). It also gets the attention of Noah who is determined to bring her in.

Both Daniel and Margaret find an ally in Hugo Wakefield (Colman Domingo), a Wardex defector who now leads an underground ‘truth movement’. Hugo knows the information that Wardex is hiding on behalf of the U.S. government, and he knows Daniel and Margaret are the keys. Hugo is ready to disclose it to the world, but Noah doesn’t think people are ready. And with the planet on the brink of World War III, Noah is willing to do anything in his power to keep the truth from getting out.

The battle between disclosing the truth and protecting it is the conflict at the heart of “Disclosure Day”. Meanwhile the depths of that truth is slowly drip-fed to us over time. It’s intriguing at first but maddening later on. Essentially, Spielberg drags things out, leading to several notable frustrations – scenes lasting longer than necessary, conversations where nothing seems to be said, and too many instances of characters stuck in states of confusion. This makes the already lengthy 145 minutes feel even longer.

Still, it’s Spielberg so there is some expert craftsmanship on display. And the cast is top-to-bottom strong. Also, those X-Files moments are pretty enticing. But while the premise and the pieces are there, getting from point to point can be a drag. What action there is can be thrilling, but every bit of it is shown in the trailer. And the finish seems like a well-intended miss. There is a gutsier ending out there that could have really made things interesting. Instead, Spielberg goes a route that feels safe and even a bit lazy.

VERDICT – 2.5 STARS