November 2026 "Digger is One of the Best Films We Have Ever Seen" by Will Williams and A.J. Ayers

“Already long ago, from when we sold our vote to no man, the People have abdicated our duties; for the People who once upon a time handed out military command, high civil office, legions — everything, now restrains itself and anxiously hopes for just two things: bread and circuses.”

This is an infamous quote from the Ancient Roman poet Juvenal, from his work Satire X (c. 100 CE), which has been more recently and recognizably summarized in the expression “give them bread and circuses and they will never revolt.” Juvenal originally wrote this to express the sentiment that political power may be gained and consolidated by buying it with the promise of momentary comforts or pleasures, and thus true liberty is lost. In practice, as Juvenal saw it, people gave up any self-determination they may have had, without even realizing it, for the semblance of a better existence. That is to say, when base pleasures are satisfied people will not bother to reflect on what is lost and who is taking it from them.

After watching the satirical comedy Digger last month, this quote kept coming to the front of my mind. The film follows oil tycoon Digger Rockwell (Tom Cruise) as he fights a battle of reputation after being directly responsible for a monumental natural disaster, in a deeply relevant satire about climate change and how those in power will not willingly change their ways for a common benefit. With critically acclaimed director Alejandro G. Iñárritu of Birdman behind the wheel, this was one of the most highly anticipated films of the year, at least for us. Unfortunately, critics’ opinions have been divided, with the film currently having a score of 53% on Rotten Tomatoes. While some criticisms of the film we can not as easily argue against, such as the humor not landing for some, we do find the overall messaging of the film is quite poignant and has not received enough recognition in the discourse about it. While at the most base level it is a satire about climate change, there is an aspect to Digger we have not yet mentioned. *Spoiler warning now if you have not seen the film, as watching it blind is an experience I can not recommend enough. Come back after you’re done. Go on, stop reading.

This hidden aspect to Digger is the meta angle that the Digger Rockwell we see in the film is not the real Digger Rockwell, but an actor portraying him in a play about the natural disaster he caused thirty years prior. Throughout the film, between scenes of the play, Fossil Fools, viewers observe a series of events that invariably sent humanity toward a dystopian, climate-change-ridden, dying Earth, with glimpses of this dying Earth through the lens of the actors putting on this play. Through Fossil Fools, the film brings the topic of bread and circuses into the context of the social structures of the 21st century. No longer is it emperors feeding us until people cannot speak, but rather autocratic billionaires in power, propping up fictions of emotional satisfaction, such as people gaining control over their lives that in reality will never be gained. At the end of the film, viewers see the audience to Fossil Fools erupt in cheers as Digger Rockwell meets his demise onstage, the play granting them a catharsis that carries no weight once they walk outside into the world they have inherited. The film argues that these artistic works, no matter how they may make us feel, will never be a substitute for real change and the steps that are necessary to accomplish it. Art will never be a cure for our festering wounds, but only a bandaid to cover it so as to not be an eyesore.