Tom Cruise faces backlash over Digger
Tom Cruise has tunnelled himself into a world of trouble with his art-house mega-flop Digger. Not only has director Alejandro González Iñárritu’s self-consciously quirky film divided, confused and, in some cases, outraged critics and audiences, the film has also achieved the seemingly impossible feat of turning film-goers off Cruise, reports BritPanorama.
As he surveys the ruins of his late-career push to be taken seriously as a dramatic actor – as opposed to the guy who straps himself to planes for Mission: Impossible sequels – it may console Cruise to know that box office is but one measure of a film’s worth. The annals of Hollywood are full of movies that were a miss in the moment but were later acknowledged as misunderstood classics. In other words, not every box office bomb is a certified dud, and many deserve to be reappraised.
Here, we examine a selection of notable flops worth a second look. First is Heaven’s Gate (1980), a project initially budgeted at $11m (£8.3m) that spiralled to $44m (£33.1m) before flopping with only $3.5m (£2.6m) in box office receipts. Michael Cimino’s revisionist western, starring Kris Kristofferson and Jeff Bridges, chronicles a real-life conflict between wealthy cattle farmers and recently arrived migrants in 1890s Wyoming.
The Thing (1982) opened against Spielberg’s family-friendly E.T. and was overlooked despite its commanding performances and creative effects. It was dismissed as a “barf bag movie” but has since been recognised as a masterclass in cosmic horror. Similarly, Dune (1984), directed by David Lynch, has gained a cult following over time, despite Lynch’s own disavowal of the adaptation.
Al Pacino’s Revolution (1985) faced immediate consequences from its failure, impacting other productions financially. Yet, Pacino’s performance presents an engaging portrayal amid America’s fight for independence. In a similar vein, Ridley Scott’s Legend (1985), featuring a young Cruise, struggled at the box office but offers visually striking fantasy elements alongside a compelling narrative.
Other films, such as Last Action Hero (1993) and The Hudsucker Proxy (1994), similarly exemplify the phenomenon of misunderstood cinematic narratives later embraced by audiences. As modern audiences reassess these films, the scope of their storytelling and direction emerges more favourably than their initial receptions suggest.
As the film industry continues to evolve, the legacy of Digger may not be set in stone. With ongoing discussions about artistic merit and audience engagement, the lessons learned from Hollywood’s past flops might help refocus attention on the complexities of cinematic success.
