Warner Bros. Tells Audiences to Decide on Divisive Digger
Warner Bros. is using divided reviews to sell Digger, telling moviegoers to “Decide for yourself.” The studio released the online advert ahead of the film’s opening in theatres on Friday, Oct. 2, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter. It is a bold way to frame a split response.
The advert opens with a critic’s line describing the film as “an ambitious film sure to polarize audiences,” according to The Hollywood Reporter. It then cuts straight to star Tom Cruise in character as an oil tycoon. “You know what? Fuck those people!” he says. It is a blunt start. It sets the tone for what follows.
From there, the spot pairs attacks with praise in large on-screen text. “Unpleasant” is set against “Masterpiece,” “Baffling” against “Brilliant,” and “Insufferable” against “Magnificent,” as described by The Hollywood Reporter. The words flash in opposition. The point is clear: critics cannot agree.
The advert closes with another line from Cruise’s character. “Never be afraid to tell the truth — whatever that is,” he says, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Digger is directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu and stars Cruise as an oil tycoon. The production budget — the money spent to make the film, before advertising and release costs — was US$125 million, according to The Hollywood Reporter. On Rotten Tomatoes, the website that collects critics’ reviews into a single score, the film stood at 53 per cent positive across 113 reviews. That figure was reported on 30 Sept, two days before opening.
What makes this stand out is the tactic itself. Studios often hide weak or mixed notices. Here Warner Bros. puts the disagreement front and centre and invites the public to join the argument.
