Digger (2026)

I was in the 'willing to see where the twist goes' camp, despite nothing in the shot structure / blocking / special fx up to that point plausibly existing in a play, but I don't think the backstage material goes anywhere. It just felt like leftovers from Birdman he couldn't fit in.

At the same time, this is absolutely NOT an anti-environmentalist movie. The ending proves that their atmosphere is fucked, and Plemons' speech makes it clear that people blame the fossil fuel industry for this and are right to do so. But it also just focuses on white Americans and their government - while the US, Russia, and Canada are 3 of the 4 biggest petroleum producers of the world, 16 of the top 20 countries aren't white people - and ignores that the rest of the world is using that petroleum, or else it wouldn't be profitable enough to dig up.

At the end of the day it is something different, despite the muddled presentation and message - the problem is that something is just a Birdman rehash.

Also, since it is time for the Oscar-bait to start rolling out, there... isn't much left in terms of serous contenders this year? There's
Jesse Eisenberg's The Debut, which is also about putting on a play.
Martin McDonagh (In Bruges)'s Wild Horse Nine, which is also another (borderline) mass-market comedy about assassins.
The gay-as-hell La Bola Negra.

.. and then a couple oddballs that will get a nomination or two and not much else, like
Elsinore, about a gay guy in a play, and
Behemoth, about musicians doing music for movies?

Jesus, can the film industry even make anything other than for and about itself anymore?

Wombat said:

Also, since it is time for the Oscar-bait to start rolling out, there... isn't much left in terms of serous contenders this year? There's
Jesse Eisenberg's The Debut, which is also about putting on a play.
Martin McDonagh (In Bruges)'s Wild Horse Nine, which is also another (borderline) mass-market comedy about assassins.
The gay-as-hell La Bola Negra.

.. and then a couple oddballs that will get a nomination or two and not much else, like
Elsinore, about a gay guy in a play, and
Behemoth, about musicians doing music for movies?

Jesus, can the film industry even make anything other than for and about itself anymore?

Click to expand...

Dune will get noms for picture and director and insiders are as of now expecting Villeneuve to win based on the trilogy, You Can See Everything will likely make the rare jump to actual awards other then documentary, Cliff Booth will get noms, expect technical noms for Werewolf, Godzilla for visuals, Wild Horse Nine for best actor apparently, Rose for best actress, probably others that IDK much about.

I was limiting myself to 'awards-bait' releases to come; while mass-market films like Dune, Cliff Booth, Werwulf, etc. will get noms, I doubt that was a primary driver for any of those directors.

Though I suppose I do have to admit that (not having seen it or heard any reviews) McDonagh's Wild Horse Nine sounds too mass-market and reactionary (compared to Three Billboards and arguably Banshees) to really be considered awards-bait.

Wombat said:

I was limiting myself to 'awards-bait' releases to come; while mass-market films like Dune, Cliff Booth, Werwulf, etc. will get noms, I doubt that was a primary driver for any of those directors.

Though I suppose I do have to admit that (not having seen it or heard any reviews) McDonagh's Wild Horse Nine sounds too mass-market and reactionary (compared to Three Billboards and arguably Banshees) to really be considered awards-bait.

Click to expand...

Ah flat awards bait. I really didn't pay too much to festivals this year, but I think Wicker, Rose, and Ink probably qualify. Wild Horse Nine probably should be but McDonagh just seems to like to make the films he makes and doesnt seem to particularly chase Oscars with them.