Tom Cruise takes a bold departure from his usual action-hero roles in "Digger," the eighth feature film from acclaimed Mexican director Alejandro González Iñárritu, known for "Birdman" and "The Revenant." Premiering this Friday, the film presents a complex and provocative satire centered on the climate crisis.

In "Digger," Cruise portrays Digger Rockwell, a crude and domineering oil executive whose reckless drilling in Greenland triggers a catastrophic ice shelf collapse. The resulting ice mass drifts toward northern Europe, causing an ecological disaster of apocalyptic scale reminiscent of the Chicxulub asteroid event. In the aftermath, Digger aligns himself with a dysfunctional U.S. administration, embodied by John Goodman’s portrayal of a cantankerous, deluded president, in an effort to recast himself as a savior of humanity. The character’s fixation on "controlling the narrative" leads to confrontational appearances before the European Parliament and extreme attempts to manage the melting ice.

The film unfolds in a highly metafictional manner. Midway through, Cruise's character intermittently steps out of role to become Curtis Markson, an anxious actor grappling with the production of a theatrical play based on the disaster. This layered storytelling blurs lines between performance and reality, culminating in a darkly ironic conclusion that echoes the tone of Stanley Kubrick’s "Dr. Strangelove."

Visually and thematically, "Digger" stands out for its surreal and handcrafted elements, including intricate miniature sets and a striking puppet cat that combines unsettling and endearing qualities. These details emphasize the manipulated and artificial nature of the story, reinforcing the film’s exploration of narrative control amid crisis. Cruise’s physical transformation using prosthetics marks one of his most daring performances, with many critics labeling it his strongest conventional acting effort since 2014’s "Edge of Tomorrow."

Supporting performances enhance the film’s moral and thematic complexity. Riz Ahmed plays Dr. Ganesh, Digger’s conflicted in-house scientist, embodying the film’s ethical tensions, while Jesse Plemons offers a memorable portrayal of a benefactor who interrupts rehearsals to debate the project’s purpose with Curtis and the director.

"Digger" grapples with difficult questions about the role and efficacy of art in addressing global catastrophe, opting for ambiguity rather than clear resolution. The film’s audacity and inventiveness have drawn praise for its willingness to confront such issues with both grandeur and nuance.

Additionally, John Goodman, who plays the U.S. president, appeared markedly different at the Los Angeles premiere hosted at Directors Village, having lost significant weight since ending alcohol consumption over a decade ago.

"Digger" will be available in cinemas starting this Friday.