Weekend Screen: 'Digger' and 'Verity' Lead a Mixed Bag of New Releases

Key points

• Tom Cruise stars as an oil tycoon in Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s 'Digger,' a film that has received mixed reviews for its heavy-handed satire and Cruise’s intense performance.
• Anne Hathaway headlines 'Verity,' a Colleen Hoover adaptation directed by Michael Showalter, which critics have praised for its sharp humor and Hathaway’s villainous turn.
• Netflix is streaming 'East of Eden,' a new adaptation of John Steinbeck’s novel starring Zoe Kazan and Florence Pugh, alongside the animated series 'Get Jiro' on HBO Max.
• Theatrical releases include the tenth-anniversary re-release of 'Moonlight' and the documentary 'NAZA,' which examines Israeli intelligence officers' accounts of war crimes in Gaza.
• Streaming services are also adding 'Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma' to Mubi and the M3GAN spinoff 'Soulm8te' to Hulu.

Background

This weekend’s releases follow a busy fall season for major studios and streaming platforms. The return of 'Moonlight' marks a decade since its Oscar-winning run, while the new 'East of Eden' adaptation arrives more than 60 years after the original 1955 film. The slate also includes a re-release of the 2016 Best Picture winner, indicating a trend of studios revisiting classic titles for anniversary screenings.

How outlets are covering it

Critics are sharply divided on 'Digger.' WBUR’s Sean Burns calls the film an 'endurance test,' criticizing Cruise’s 'unbearable' performance and Iñárritu’s 'overbearing' direction. In contrast, Vulture’s Kathryn VanArendonk highlights the film’s ensemble cast, including John Goodman and Riz Ahmed, without offering a negative critique. The Sydney Morning Herald gave 'Digger' a 2.5-star rating, while 'Verity' received 3 stars, suggesting a more favorable reception for the thriller. Vulture’s Savannah Salazar emphasizes the 'epic' nature of both Cruise’s and Kazan’s projects, framing them as major weekend events rather than focusing on critical reception.

Why it matters

The reception of 'Digger' and 'Verity' highlights the ongoing debate over how to adapt popular source material and the effectiveness of star-driven performances in prestige comedies. The strong critical reception for 'Verity' suggests that Anne Hathaway’s versatility remains a major draw, while the mixed response to 'Digger' may impact Tom Cruise’s Oscar campaign, as noted by Vulture. The release of 'NAZA' also underscores the growing trend of documentaries addressing geopolitical conflicts, aiming to influence public discourse and potentially legal proceedings.

What to watch

Audiences will continue to evaluate 'Digger' and 'Verity' over the coming weeks, with box office performance and audience scores likely to influence their long-term reception. The streaming availability of 'East of Eden' and 'Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma' will determine their reach beyond theatrical audiences. The documentary 'NAZA' may face challenges in influencing legal proceedings, as Vulture’s Eric Vilas-Boas questions whether its theatrical run can effectively advance the case for genocide.