Bill Burr Says ‘Digger' Critics Are “Out of Their Minds," and Their Bad Reviews “Won’t Age Well”

As previously reported, there's a real disconnect between how critics and the industry are receiving “Digger.” I don't know if you've noticed, but there's also been a groundswell of passionate support for the film on social media. Its fans call themselves the "Digger Hive," and they'll swear on their graves that it's a misunderstood masterpiece.

So yes, critics have been brutal, but it's not just the Digger Hive pushing this film hard. There also seems to be major support inside Hollywood, where the film appears to be beloved by a strong minority, or is it a majority? Denis Villeneuve, Ben Affleck, Michael Mann, Ron Howard and Alfonso Cuarón have all come to its defense.

Now, here’s Bill Burr, coming off his own bomb, ‘Social Reckoning,’ who used his Monday Morning Podcast to deliver an impassioned defense of Alejandro G. Iñárritu's satire, telling guest Sam Morril that he’s "gotta keep bringing this up" and that critics who panned the film “are out of their minds."

He also thinks Tom Cruise deserves to win the big trophy. "Tom Cruise is unbelievable. He should win the Oscar for that. Him and John Goodman were unbelievable."

Burr's real frustration was with critics. "These f*cking critics. All they do is bitch: “Oh, another Marvel movie? Blah blah blah.' And then when they do something different, not only do they trash it, they don't even understand it."

That's not gonna age well, what they said about it. It reminds me of when 'The Big Lebowski' came out, people [were] like, 'What the f--- is this?

Burr even compared the film to Kubrick, saying the it reminded him of "Dr. Strangelove." "There's subtle metaphors in there," he said. "I don't wanna ruin any of it. I went in, I didn't even know what it was about." He also praised the film's now-infamous twist without spoiling it: "There's a left turn that is so f---in' original. At first I was like, 'What are they doin'?' And then it works."

Burr even admitted the bad reviews made him second-guess himself mid-screening, glancing at the friend he went with and wondering if he was the only one enjoying it. Turns out, his buddy loved it too. "How the f--- did they get this thing made?" Burr asked. "Good for [Cruise] and John Goodman and all of those guys sayin' yes to that."

Is Burr right? Will “Digger” be the ‘Big Lebowski’ of 2026, a misunderstood bomb that finds its audience on home video? ‘Lebowski’ is hardly alone: “Blade Runner,” “The Shining” and “Fight Club” all followed the same path from dismissal to classic status.