Ty Watches "Digger"

I'm going to postpone my NBA countdown 1 day because I saw "Digger" on Saturday and I have some thoughts. I wrote about how excited I was to go and see the movie last Friday, and man am I happy that I went to watch it in a theater. This review will be as spoiler free as possible because I truly think that if you have any feelings on seeing this movie, you should know as little as you can going in, and you should go watch it in a theater.

This is a movie that should be seen with a crowd, and then have some conversation with said crowd afterwards, just like my father and I did on Saturday. I loved this movie. I was all in from pretty much the first scene. I love it when Tom Cruise does something different with an established director. Alejandro Innaritu is an Oscar winning director. He has won multiple, for "Birdman" and "The Revenant", both movies which I like. I like "Birdman" more, but both are worth checking out. So having him on board, and getting Cruise to sign on was a home run. It reminds me of Cruise working with Paul Thomas Anderson on "Magnolia". That was something different and unique for Cruise, and he nailed it. I don't like Oliver Stone, but he has made a few decent movies. One such movie is "Born On The Fourth of July". Cruise makes that movie worth watching with one of his best performances. "Eyes Wide Shut" is up and down, but Cruise and Nicole Kidman do some great stuff, and I like to think that some of that is due to Stanley Kubrick's direction. I guess what I'm saying is, I prefer when Cruise isn't doing action movies. I like his acting in something like "Digger". When he takes a chance he usually hits, and this performance was a total knockout for me. I fully think he deserves to be nominated for this role. He is that good. I could not take my eyes off this performance. And when he wasn't on screen, I found myself waiting for him to get back in the scene. He is incredible in this role.

The supporting actors do some great work too. I thought John Goodman was the funniest person in the whole movie. He makes a proclamation halfway through the movie that made me cackle out loud, and it fully locked me in to the movie even more. The stuff between him and his wife is quite funny, and kind of depressing. I thought Riz Ahmed did some really solid work as a scientist. Ahmed is becoming more and more reliable for me as an actor. When he shows up in something I have found that I tend to enjoy the movie and his performance. He is also very funny, and the voice of reason in this movie. Sandra Huller is really solid in a smaller role. She has just got on my radar as of late, but I am becoming even more of a fan with each new performance I see of hers. And Jesse Plemons almost steals the show from Cruise. He may have the smallest "lead" role in the movie, but he owns his screen time. He is such a great actor and I appreciate that he continues to take on weird and wild roles in every movie he is cast in.

"Digger" is going to spark lots of reactions from people. There are going to be people like me that love this movie. I will sing the praises of "Digger" to anyone that will listen. I didn't know how I was going to feel about this movie going in, but going in fully blind and not knowing anything, like I said before, was the way to go. To experience this movie now knowing a thing is the only way you should watch it. But there are going to be people that despise this movie. I know RD may be more on this side. The movie takes swing after swing, and for some viewers those swings will not connect. The twists come out of nowhere. And they really change the trajectory of what you have been watching. I can see why that may turn away some viewers. But for me, I was all in on "Digger". I adored it. I will watch it many more times just to see what I may have missed before.

Go check it out and decide for yourself, just like the new ads are saying. But go see it with people, in a theater. That's the best way to get the full experience. "Digger" rules. 

Ty 

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Is "Digger" Bad? I'll See for Myself

I am finally going to see the movie "Digger" tomorrow. I mentioned on the podcast that I will be doing a review on Monday, and today is just about my excitement in going to see this in the theater.

I have not been this excited to see a movie in a long, long time. I mentioned on the pod that this may be the height since I saw "The Simpsons" movie years ago. And it has nothing to do with my familiarity or fandom of the subject material. I'm a rabid "Simpsons" fan. I always have been. That excitement came from seeing it on the big screen and hoping they would do the show justice. And they did. I actually saw that movie two days in a row because of my excitement. The feelings for "Digger" are totally different.

I have successfully missed any spoilers for this movie to this point. I know that they're some twists, but I have no clue what they could be. "Digger" could have some musical elements to it, it could be music free. I know that I love the cast. I am an Innaritu fan. I like when Tom Cruise goes against the grain and plays some kind of wild character. I like when he takes chances. This movie has everything going for me as a fan of going to the theater. But there's also all the negative stuff that has simply fueled my passion for wanting to see this movie.

RD was the first person to stoke the flames for me. He saw it last weekend and he texted me that he thought it was not a good movie. This didn't deter me. He sent some subsequent texts as well, but those kind of made me want to see it more and more. Then I saw some stuff on the internet saying that it could be the biggest flop ever. These quotes and blurbs only made me want to give my money to the movie to try and save it some money. Then I saw how the campaigning for the movie changed. They started to show negative reviews, then Cruise in character saying, "f those people", and then the new trailer telling the viewer to decide for themselves.

Then RD called me the other night and he said something that pushed me even harder to find a time to go watch this movie. He reiterated that he did not like the movie, but he thought that I may love it. I saw some people online who I tend to agree with their movie reviews saying how much they liked the movie. I like weird movies that take big shots. I love "Hot Rod". "Southland Tales" is a movie I still think about on a daily basis. David Lynch's early movies seem to be devisive, and those are my favorite of his. I like the new "Star Wars" movies. "Cloud Atlas" is one of the coolest and most unique movies I've ever watched. I'm not that tough on movies that seem similar, or at least have similar views on the internet, like "Digger". I wanted to see this movie from the very first teaser that simply showed a silhouette of Cruise with a shovel. I got even more on board when I saw it was Innaritu's next movie. Hell, he made "Birdman", so he will always hold a place as one of my favorite directors. I cannot wait to see his take on climate change. I'm sure it will be explained much better than whatever the hell Adam McKay was trying to do with "Don't Look Up", another movie I don’t totally hate like some other people do. But this feeling I currently have in my body, this push of joy and excitement hasn't been around for a movie for me in awhile. I had something close to this with "Friendship", and that movie rules. But there haven't been too many other movies that have given me this feeling. Sure, I wanted to see "Primetime", I am stoked for "You Can See Everything", "Everything Everywhere All At Once" got my juices flowing, and I still have yet to see "the Odyssey", but I still have hopes to see it in a theater soon. But this feeling I have for "Digger" is different.

Like I said at the top, I'll have an actual review on Monday. Today I just wanted to kind of take you through my current thought process and my feelings of excitement knowing that I will be watching it in a theater tomorrow. I cannot wait. 

Ty 

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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2026 Has Alredy Been an Amazing Year for Movies

Maybe it's just the movie fan in me, but I can't remember the last time I looked at a theater schedule and thought, "I want to see almost everything." For the first time since the pandemic turned Hollywood upside down, it feels like movies are back in a big way.

For years we've heard the same conversation. "Movie theaters are dying." "Streaming is the future." "Hollywood has run out of ideas." And while there have certainly been some great films over the past few years, 2026 feels different. It feels like there's real momentum again.

What's been most exciting isn't just that we've gotten a handful of good movies—it's that we've gotten great movies across almost every genre.

Early in the year, science fiction fans were treated to the incredible Project Hail Mary, a film that reminded audiences why big, intelligent sci-fi adventures belong on the biggest screen possible. It wasn't just another effects showcase. It had heart, humor, and one of the year's most satisfying stories.

Animation has been on a roll, too. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie continued Nintendo's winning streak, proving once again that video game movies can actually be...well...good. Better than good, actually. It captured the fun and imagination that fans hoped for while introducing a whole new generation to Mario's universe.

Then came Toy Story 5.

I'll admit it—I wasn't sure we needed another Toy Story. After Toy Story 3, I thought Pixar had wrapped things up pretty well, yet they still made Toy Story 4. But somehow they found another story worth telling. It reminded us why Woody, Buzz, and the rest of the gang have meant so much to audiences for nearly three decades.

And then there's The Odyssey.

Big, ambitious, epic filmmaking has felt increasingly rare over the last several years. Seeing a classic story brought to life on such a massive scale reminded me why theaters exist in the first place. Some movies just aren't meant to be watched while folding laundry at home. Chistopher Nolan swung for the fences with The Odyssey, and he hot the ball out of the stadium. Go see this movie on the big screen.

Over the weekend the biggest movie opening ever happened. Spider-Man: Brand New Day delivered exactly what fans wanted: heart, humor, exciting action, and a reminder that superhero movies still work when the focus stays on great characters instead of simply setting up the next dozen sequels. Great actors playing characters we love doing cool stuff will always bring box office gold.

But here's what I think has made 2026 really special. It hasn't just been about the giant franchises. Some of the year's biggest surprises have come from smaller films, especially in horror. Obsession and Backrooms became breakout successes not because they had enormous budgets, but because they had fresh ideas, memorable scares, and audiences eager to discover something new. People, twenty somethings in particular, wanted to have a shared moviegoing experience with these films made by people who are their age. The success of these films proves that you don't need a $250 million budget to make an impact—you just need a great concept and strong execution, and an audience that wants to be scared. That's encouraging not only for horror fans but for anyone who wants Hollywood to keep taking creative risks.

Honestly, the best part is that we're not even finished with 2026. The second half of the year still has plenty to look forward to. I'm already counting down the days until Digger, one of the more intriguing original films on the horizon with a must see performance from Tom Cruise. Then there's Avengers: Doomsday, which has the chance to be the biggest superhero event in years if it sticks the landing. And for science fiction fans, Dune 3 promises to continue one of the most visually stunning and ambitious franchises of the modern era. For the first time in a long time, it feels like every few weeks there's another movie worth getting excited about.

The pandemic didn't kill moviegoing, but it definitely changed it. Studios became more cautious, release schedules were constantly shifting, and streaming often overshadowed theatrical releases. For a while, it seemed like every discussion about movies centered on declining ticket sales instead of the films themselves. This year, the conversation has finally changed. People are recommending movies to each other again. They're avoiding spoilers, buying advance tickets, debating favorites online, and making plans to see films together. Going to the movies has started feeling like an event again rather than just another entertainment option.

Will every movie be a classic? Of course not. But that's never been the point.

The point is that 2026 has reminded us what it's like to be genuinely excited about going to the theater. Between smart science fiction, emotional animated films, massive historical epics, crowd-pleasing superhero adventures, and inventive low-budget horror hits, there's been something for just about everyone. After several uneven years, Hollywood finally seems to have found its rhythm again. And if the rest of the release calendar lives up to the promise of Digger, Avengers: Doomsday, and Dune 3, we may end up looking back on 2026 as not just the best movie year since the pandemic—but one of the best blockbuster years in a very long time.

I’m excited. As Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel used to say, “I’ll see you at the movies”.

RD

RD is the founder and Head Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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