The following contains spoilers for the film Digger.
Digger’s marketing campaign began not with a trailer but with a montage—a reel of previous performances by the movie’s star, Tom Cruise. There was Cruise in Top Gun, feeling the need for speed; Cruise in Jerry Maguire, committing to showing the money; Cruise in the Mission: Impossible films, dangling from various planes. The retrospective ended with a snippet of Cruise acting in Digger, but its message was clear: What the movie star of movie stars pulls off in this forthcoming project would be the pinnacle of Cruise-ian cinema, the performance he’s been building toward all this time.
As it turns out, the movie is indeed a historic entry in Cruise’s filmography—though likely not for the reasons anyone involved had hoped. Digger has become one of the worst-performing releases of his career, making roughly $8 million domestically during its opening weekend against a reported budget of up to $180 million. Few reviews are glowing; it also has the unfortunate distinction of being the final film released by Warner Bros. before the company’s acquisition by Paramount, a deal that closed this week. The promotional tone has shifted significantly—no longer are teasers celebrating the opportunity to see Cruise as people have never seen him before. They now offer a more desperate plea: “Decide for yourself,” one of the latest ads says, a shrug of a command.
That Digger’s marketing relied so heavily on Cruise’s star power isn’t surprising. But the film’s dramatic bombing at the box office proves the (literal) tomfoolery of making Cruise its only selling point. For years, the actor has adopted the persona of Hollywood’s unofficial mayor, stressing whenever possible the importance of seeing movies in theaters with crowds. Digger, however, has no trace of crowd-pleasing in its DNA. Directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, it’s a satire of a satire that’s both grandiose and grotesque, with a Russian doll–like story structure: At its center is a shouty black comedy about the apocalypse, which is caused by an oil tycoon named Digger Rockwell (Cruise). That tale is then revealed to be a play called Fossil Fools being staged by a harried crew and cast; its star, Curtis Markson (also Cruise), is growing anxious about the ethical implications of the show’s conceit, as well as a possible emergency that his daughter is facing. A final twist unveils the play as a retelling of a real story—that the events of Fossil Fools actually happened, give or take a few creative flourishes. Outside the theater, the world is a dystopian nightmare.
The entire ethos of Cruise’s career thus butts heads dramatically with the film’s complexity and cynicism. Digger gets the most out of Cruise the actor, who delivers a captivating performance while juggling two characters throughout the film. But it can’t mine much out of Cruise the untouchable, one-note movie star. In an interview with GQ, the first cover story with the magazine that Cruise has agreed to in 20 years, he turned every question into an opportunity to wax poetic about the beauty of filmmaking. Despite being given opportunities to reflect on his career and why he’s been drawn to death-defying, larger-than-life roles, Cruise rarely conveyed anything beyond the talking point he kept pushing about “cinema” being his life’s passion. “What I like about cinema,” he said in response to an inquiry about his childhood, “is it is all of us coming together in a room and sharing an experience.”
Cruise has made staunch optimism about the movies his public narrative; for him, the theatrical business must and will succeed no matter what challenges befall the industry. “Hollywood has always gone through ups and downs,” he told GQ. “If you study Hollywood, they’ve been bust and bank and broke. I’m excited. I’m very excited about where movies are.” But Digger displays no such certainty. Rather, it argues that although art can endure the end of the world, overstating the importance of entertainment is silly. Fossil Fools, after all, is funded by a descendant of Digger Rockwell himself. A credit sequence further emphasizes the story’s pessimism by sounding the same warning that the theatergoers hear when the stage show ends; the real-life audience watching Digger is therefore encouraged to brace for a crisis as it leaves the building as well.
Digger isn’t the only film this year underlining the bleak world we’re in. Both The Social Reckoning, the writer-director Aaron Sorkin’s follow-up to The Social Network, and Artificial, the auteur Luca Guadagnino’s movie about the founding of OpenAI, are tonally different from Digger, but they contend with the same challenge Digger does: persuading audiences to spend a few hours in a theater absorbing disturbing stories about a reality they already know. The two movies also seem to face uphill box-office battles, despite featuring acclaimed actors: The former, starring the recent Oscar winner Mikey Madison, is on track for a soft opening this weekend, while the latter, with Andrew Garfield as Sam Altman, was dropped by its original distributor, Amazon MGM Studios; a smaller company, Neon, rescued the project. But even if these films also fail to become hits, at least they’re not hiding their messages behind the charm of their stars.
The Princess Bride. The Shawshank Redemption. Almost Famous. Over the course of its 51-year history, the Toronto International Film Festival has hosted notable films of all genres and styles. The 2026 edition, which concluded in mid-September, curated movies from rising talent and established filmmakers alike, including a modern-day Nigerian-set remake of Mrs. Dalloway, a gorgeous coming-of-age drama about a school trip to Pompeii, and a rollicking comedy about a community-theater troupe attempting to stage a musical. Below are 14 of my favorite films from the ones I caught, most of which will arrive in theaters in the coming months.
Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother (now in theaters)
Marvel fumbled its chance to feature the two-time Oscar winner Mahershala Ali in action-hero mode, but this soulful thriller makes up for that loss. Ali plays Latif, a hit man whose devotion to his Muslim faith and his family keeps him grounded; he hunts only targets he believes are irredeemable. But when he struggles to obtain breast milk for the youngest of his three children after his wife’s death, Latif gets drawn into the kind of violence that makes him question his crusade’s value. The film, written and directed by Bassam Tariq, is stylishly shot, and balances balletic fight sequences and intimate character study.
Fjord (in theaters October 9)
Like much of his work, Cristian Mungiu’s latest movie is uncomfortable and uncompromising. In Fjord, which won the director his second Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, a strict Romanian patriarch moves his family to Norway, where their evangelicism isn’t the norm. They assimilate comfortably until one of their daughters shows up to school with a visible bruise, which prompts an investigation into the parents (played by Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve). The film risks being considered a referendum on performative politics, but if anything, Fjord is a meticulous examination of responsibility and how good intentions can cause trouble.
La bola negra (in theaters October 16, streaming on Netflix December 2)
This year’s People’s Choice Award winner—the top honor granted at TIFF—is more complex than some of the previous, crowd-pleasing recipients. Directed by Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi (known as “Los Javis”), La bola negra weaves together the stories of three gay men across time: a scion of an aristocratic family in 1932 who’s denied entry into a posh social club; a musician in 1937 conscripted into fighting alongside the fascists who destroyed his village; and a historian in 2017 studying the work of the poet Federico García Lorca, who wrote the titular unfinished play (which translates to “The Black Ball”). This deeply felt drama about the cost of burying one’s desires is also a technical marvel, packed with beautifully composed set pieces.
The Only Living Pickpocket in New York (in theaters October 23)
As earnest as the Simon and Garfunkel song from which its title draws inspiration, this nimble indie film feels like an artifact of a bygone era. John Turturro delivers a fine-tuned performance as Harry, an aging criminal struggling to accept that the tricks of his trade have become obsolete. When Harry steals a valuable USB drive from a young man belonging to a mob family, then loses it, his victim sends him racing through the city to get it back, or risk punishment for his crime. Yet the film never comes across like a generic thriller; instead, it’s a surprisingly spiritual consideration of how to let go of not just one’s habits, but of an entire way of life.
Possible Love (in theaters October 23, streaming on Netflix November 6)
The director Lee Chang-dong’s last film, 2018’s Burning, was engrossing for its precision, and his latest is another master class in exactitude. The story follows two couples, one of which includes the documentarian Ye-ji (Parasite’s Cho Yeo-jeong), who hopes to make a movie about the personal lives of laid-off workers. Her intended subject, a man who was let go by the factory that employs much of his rural town, won’t speak with her. Thus, Ye-ji interviews his cheery wife (Jeon Do-yeon) instead. As the women grow close, their opposing lifestyles—Ye-ji and her husband are obviously wealthy—result in emotions none of the foursome wishes to confront: jealousy, resentment, lust. Possible Love draws you in through furtive glances and sharp dialogue. Though it’s nearly three hours long, no second feels wasted.
Wild Horse Nine (in theaters November 6)
Is there any point in terrible people self-reflecting? Martin McDonagh’s latest dark comedy considers that question. A sterling John Malkovich and his fellow McDonagh favorite Sam Rockwell play, respectively, best friends Chris and Lee, two CIA operatives who vacation on Easter Island after their latest unsavory mission. Chris, though, is dying of cancer and seems newly troubled by his work. Hopped up on morphine, he records his thoughts about his clandestine escapades, philosophizing about whether he can be redeemed. This soon puts Lee in the awkward position of trying to stop Chris from running afoul of the CIA. What ensues is an eccentric and bloody affair that resembles the writer-director’s previous bromance-centric work, most recently The Banshees of Inisherin.
Being Heumann (in theaters November 6, streaming on Apple TV November 13)
The disability-rights activist Judy Heumann’s achievements in the 1970s can be easily taken for granted today. She helped persuade the federal government to update curbs for wheelchair use, and pushed through legislation for special-education programs. This biopic, by the director of CODA, Siân Heder, could get overlooked, too: It mostly stars disabled, unknown actors, and tells a somewhat conventional story about a motley crew of underdogs overcoming the odds. Yet Being Heumann works well because it leans into the thrill of even the smallest of wins for Judy (the excellent Ruth Madeley). It’s a testament to casting for lived experience, and for revisiting history that can yield fresh insights.
Minotaur (in theaters November 20)
Adultery is well-trod storytelling territory. But Minotaur, which is inspired by the Claude Chabrol classic La femme infidèle, fuses its central marriage drama with a furious assessment of Russia’s war against Ukraine. The director Andrey Zvyagintsev (Leviathan) returns after nine years away from filmmaking with a tale about a plutocrat who is obsessed with his wife’s barely concealed extramarital affair. At the same time, he’s working on submitting names of 14 men from his workforce to be deployed to join the front lines. Shot with the chilling distance of a horror film, Minotaur becomes a suspenseful examination of how wealth and power make some people untouchable.
Tender Loving Care (in theaters December 4)
Trust the British auteur Mike Leigh to deliver a sensitive slice-of-life dramedy. Kate O’Flynn (a recent Emmy winner for Widow’s Bay) plays Amy, a social worker who moves in with her best friend, Rosie (Alice Bailey Johnson), after an overdue breakup. Unmoored, Amy holds on to Rosie and her own elderly parents, whose marriage is the picture of romantic bliss the women wish for themselves. Through finely observed scenes, the Hard Truths director offers a hilarious and quietly devastating portrait of what it really takes for us to look after one another.
Clarissa (in theaters December 11)
Mrs. Dalloway gets transported to contemporary Nigeria in this sensual adaptation of Virginia Woolf’s best-known novel. Directed by the brothers Arie and Chuko Esiri, the movie stars Sophie Okonedo as the refined Clarissa, who reflects upon her youth as she prepares to throw a lavish party. As her day unfolds, Clarissa encounters old friends, including an aspiring writer whose unrequited affection for her led him to self-exile, and an enigmatic woman with whom Clarissa once shared an attraction; these moments prompt flashbacks that seep into the main narrative. Along the way, the film also follows a traumatized soldier a few connections removed from this posh circle, but their tales intertwine to form an elegantly shot study of nostalgia, regret, and renewal.
The Debut (in theaters December 11)
A movie about an overly dedicated actor could easily go awry; even the most respected performers can sound insufferable when talking about method acting. Julianne Moore’s take on such a thespian, however, makes any eccentricities more captivating than annoying. She’s a total delight as Mona, a meek suburban housewife fixated on perfecting her minor character in a community-theater production. The actor turned filmmaker Jesse Eisenberg surrounds her with an ensemble that captures the optimism of small-town arts culture: Her co-stars, including the sunny Stef (Halle Bailey), try to support her baffling choices. The production’s director, Jerry (Paul Giamatti), goes to great lengths to help Mona succeed. If she can make it, The Debut insists through quirky original songs and bouncy jokes, anyone can.
La gradiva (in theaters December 18)
When you’re young, everything seems to matter: A teacher’s exasperated comment can induce tears. A friend’s shrug during an important conversation can be soul-shattering. In this impeccable directorial debut from the cinematographer Marine Atlan, a group of French high schoolers travel to Pompeii, where they become mired in shifting allegiances, sexual tensions, and intellectual debates. La gradiva orbits mostly around Suzanne (Suzanne Gerin), a sullen loner, and Toni (Colas Quignard), the class troublemaker whose rowdiness belies a crush on his best friend, James (Mitia Capellier-Audat). Yet each character, however minor, is specifically rendered, as Atlan finds the tiny, wrenching moments that make up the jagged space between childhood and adulthood.
The Man I Love (release date TBD)
Jimmy George (an engrossing Rami Malek) is a performance artist in the 1980s Manhattan arts scene pushing to stage a new show, despite his AIDS diagnosis. That may sound like a familiar story; even Jimmy is simmering with fury over how cliché it feels to be yet another magnetic gay man whose health is deteriorating. But the Passages filmmaker Ira Sachs’s latest exploration of queer relationships is so compelling because it subtly widens its scope. Sachs pays close attention to Jimmy’s complicated network of relatives, admirers, and lovers, including his devoted partner and the youthful downstairs neighbor with whom Jimmy recklessly begins an affair. The result is not so much scandal as it is a reflection on who gets to express hurt in the face of inevitable tragedy.
Trash Mountain (release date TBD)
Don’t let the title fool you: Very little is wasted in this tightly constructed dramedy about a pair of half siblings trying to sift through the belongings of their late father, who was a hoarder. For Gavin (Caleb Hearon) and Abbi (Zooey Deschanel), physical baggage is only part of the problem: Gavin, a gay man, dreads spending time in his thoroughly conservative Missouri hometown, while Abbi feels saddled with responsibility as the elder sister who never left. Hearon and Deschanel share a lived-in chemistry, with their characters leaning into offbeat humor before they come to terms with reality. Trash Mountain works the same way: The funny film makes room for a sweet, cathartic story underneath.
Last Thursday, during a panel discussion at The Atlantic Festival, California Attorney General Rob Bonta seemed confident that the biggest antitrust case Hollywood has seen in decades would go his way. He told my colleague Quinta Jurecic that the coalition of 12 attorneys general who’d filed an antitrust lawsuit against the proposed Paramount–Warner Bros. merger was winning its case. The group had persuaded Paramount to not close the deal until next summer, and it had landed a favorable trial date in March. But, Bonta said, “we are always open to coming to the table.”
That seems to be exactly what happened. Last week, Paramount settled the lawsuit, ending months of negotiations. Though the agreement still has to be approved by a judge, the company has cleared its biggest hurdle to completing its $111 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery. The move saved Paramount plenty of cash—the company had pledged to pay Warner Bros. shareholders $7 million for each day past the end of September that the deal failed to close—while appearing to satisfy many of the requests of Bonta and his fellow attorneys general, including keeping both studios in California.
Still, Bonta, at a press conference last Monday, expressed disapproval. “The settlement is not a vote of support for this merger,” he said. To misquote a classic Warner Bros. film, this seems to be the beginning of an uncomfortable friendship. Below are four reasons—all lingering questions as the merger nears its finish line.
The settlement stipulates that the merged company must release at least 30 films a year for the first two years of its existence, and 32 films a year for the following three years, or pay a financial penalty. Is that number achievable?
Hitting those figures could be difficult for a single, combined studio, especially because the settlement states that each year, at least four of those films must be independent productions and at least 20 of them must get a wide release (the number goes up to 21 after the first two years). In 2025, Paramount released just eight films theatrically, while Warner Bros. released 11. The settlement also orders the new Paramount to spend $300 million more annually than it did last year to make films in the United States, rather than producing them abroad, which puts a lot of pressure on the company to generate hits, but neither Paramount nor Warner Bros. has found reliable success at the box office. (Audiences have been inconsistent in showing up to see superhero movies and legacy sequels lately; just look at the underwhelming returns on Supergirl and Practical Magic 2.) Besides, making movies will only add to the company’s ongoing debt: Paramount borrowed more than $54 billion for its takeover bid, and because Warner Bros. already had its own debt, the combined entity owes roughly $80 billion.
How will the merger affect Hollywood’s already flagging job market?
Poorly, probably. Layoffs seem inevitable, considering, again, the amount of debt Paramount has gone into just to acquire Warner Bros. The settlement demands that Paramount contribute $47.5 million to a “workforce fund” over five years to aid those laid off, but giant corporate mergers have a history of massive layoffs whose costs may exceed that sum. The Disney takeover of 20th Century Fox in 2019 led to an estimated 4,000 to 10,000 slashed jobs. Consolidating Hollywood means fewer studios at which to make film and television projects, which in turn means fewer employment prospects. For now, only those at CBS News, which is owned by Paramount, appear to be relatively safe: In a settlement with the Writers Guild of America, Paramount agreed to prohibit writer layoffs there for five years.
The merger brings CNN and CBS News under one roof, and under the oversight of Paramount CEO David Ellison, a Trump ally. How will that affect coverage?
That’s hard to say. Some of the merger’s detractors had hoped that the antitrust lawsuit would pressure Paramount into selling off CNN as an independent enterprise, but the settlement simply states that the outlet will have an oversight committee installed to ensure its editorial independence. And though that board will consist of five journalists with at least 10 years of experience in the field and a mix of political leanings, the combined company’s board of directors, chaired by Ellison, will pick its members. Whether such an arrangement will help to prevent any corporate overreach is up in the air: To Joshua Benton, the Nieman Lab founder, the board seems like a PR move at best. After all, as Reutersnoted, how the board’s decisions and findings will be implemented or enforced remains unclear.
Bonta called this settlement a “strong solution that protects competition and consumers.” Is that going to turn out to be true?
Again, that depends on whom you ask. California Governor Gavin Newsom, the Directors Guild of America, and the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (an organization representing more than 170,000 artists in the entertainment industry) supported settling the lawsuit to prevent further job loss. The deal at least ensures that Paramount isn’t moving out of California for the next several years, which should sustain competition among Hollywood studios to some extent.
A mix of new investors could also help alleviate the extreme debt Paramount is in. (The studio’s spending could heavily influence what the new company makes for audiences to see in theaters and how much it earns in subscriptions to whatever combination HBO Max–Paramount+ streaming service.) Earlier this month, the Federal Communications Commission approved the infusion of money from foreign interests for this deal, including the sovereign wealth funds of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi. Semafor reported last week that Elon Musk, an Ellison and Trump ally, may be asked to invest in Paramount as well. These sources of cash would likely lead to further anxieties about how Paramount will be run, but the company has promised that its foreign investors’ stakes will involve silent, nonvoting shares. For now, the best bet on what will happen next with the merger is that the deal itself will close.
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