Category: Blog

Some television episodes feel bigger than just the single series they belong to. Whether through scale, emotional weight, or self contained storytelling, certain episodes deliver such a complete and cinematic experience that they could easily stand on their own as films. They often push the boundaries of what television can do, with movie level production, unforgettable performances, and stories that feel fully realized in a single hour. Sometimes they become the defining chapter of an entire show. Other times, they are so unique they almost feel separate from everything around them. Here are fifteen TV episodes that were big enough to be their own movies.

The post 15 TV Episodes That Could Have Been Their Own Movies appeared first on Den of Geek.

The first trailer for Digger, the upcoming collaboration between superstar Tom Cruise and Mexican filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu has already generated a host of questions and comments. Responses range from hope that Digger will finally get Cruise his Oscar to worries that the movie will be as ponderous as Iñárritu’s Babel or Bardo. But at least one person has to have had this thought: “Surely, Mission: Impossible—The Final Reckoning wasn’t that bad!”

It’s not just that The Final Reckoning was one of the many Tom Cruise pictures featured in the trailer’s first two thirds, a montage of shots from movies ranging from Risky Business to Top Gun: Maverick. It’s that by putting its attention on Cruise’s movie star career, the Digger trailer brings to mind Iñárritu’s most successful film, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance). By juxtaposing Batman as the height of Michael Keaton‘s movie stardom to the fallow state of the actor’s popularity in 2014, Birdman revitalized Keaton’s career and cemented him as one of the greats. Does the metatextual trailer mean that Digger will do the same thing for Cruise, a man whose star has never fallen far, even after a lesser Mission: Impossible movie?

There’s no question that Cruise has had his ups and downs. Thanks to hits such as Risky Business and Top Gun, Cruise spent the ’80s and ’90s playing cocky and charismatic heroes. The movies of this period followed more or less the same plot line, with Cruise’s character beginning the movie thinking he’s the absolute best, running into people who don’t think he’s the best, and then proving to everyone at the end of the film that he was indeed the best.

By the end of the ’90s, Cruise demonstrated that he wanted to move beyond that limited character arc. He worked with auteurs such as Stanley Kubrick (Eyes Wide Shut), Steven Spielberg (Minority Report), and Michael Mann (Collateral), playing complicated characters, people whose abundant self-confidence betrays a deep brokenness. At the same time, Cruise revived his Mission: Impossible franchise, getting J. J. Abrams to direct Mission: Impossible III, which released six years after its predecessor dropped.

Interesting as that period was, it turned out that Mission: Impossible III would become the bellwether for the next decade. After his infamously weird behavior during an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2005, all of the more unsavory parts of Cruise’s life came to the fore: his relationship with the 16-year-younger Katie Holmes, the unpleasant end of his marriage to Nicole Kidman, and his connection to Scientology. These personal details made his screen persona less palatable, and while the Mission: Impossible movies continued to resonate with audiences, as did his outrageous and self-satisfied turn as studio executive Les Grossman in Tropic Thunder, stinkers such as Knight and Day, Rock of Ages, and Oblivion entered his filmography.

Then, something strange happened. Maybe it was the incredible trailer for Mission: Impossible—Fallout, or maybe it was his insistence upon holding Top Gun: Maverick until theaters reopened after the pandemic. Whatever it was, people forgave Tom Cruise, at least on screen. No one forgot about his weirdness or his Scientology; but his eccentricities were leveled out by the his passion for cinema. Nobody was talking about him as a Hollywood heartthrob, but we did appreciate him as a billionaire who regularly risks bodily harm for our entertainment.

In that regard, Cruise isn’t that different from Michael Keaton, circa 2014. Despite the differences in their career trajectories and popularities, neither Keaton then nor Cruise today is seen as a respected actor. They’re both living pieces of pop culture ephemera; Keaton because he played Batman decades ago, and Cruise because he’s the strangest movie star of our era.

Birdman used Keaton’s star persona and career arc to tell the story of another actor, haunted by the superhero he once played. Despite its flashy formal decisions, its single-take conceit and intrusive jazz score, Birdman resonated with audiences and made them appreciate Keaton anew, helping to make him a on-screen favorite.

At this point, it’s impossible to know if Digger will do the same. The trailer only contains a few seconds of new material, mostly impressionistic shots of Cruise’s character facing a crowd of desaturated rioters or shouting gibberish in a wood-paneled office. Further, it’s important to note that none of the Academy Awards won by Birdman went to Keaton (though Iñárritu helped Leonardo DiCaprio net an Oscar the next year with The Revenant).

Yet, if Iñárritu can turn our complicated feelings about our generation’s biggest movie star into dark comedy, the Digger may change the way we think about Tom Cruise, adding one more layer to this deeply odd figure.

Digger releases on October 2, 2026.

The post Can Digger Do for Tom Cruise What Birdman Did for Michael Keaton? appeared first on Den of Geek.

Movie characters have every kind of job imaginable, but every so often, Hollywood invents careers that sound like they were pulled out of a hat. Of course, some of these professions are real, and others are meant to be a joke; they all still feel like they can only happen in the movie’s fictional universe.

These jobs are weird enough to steal the scene despite barely being the focus. Whether they existed in real life or were exaggerated for comedy, they’re the kinds of careers you never expect to hear someone casually mention.

The post The 14 Weirdest Jobs Movie Characters Somehow Held Down appeared first on Den of Geek.

The first trailer for Digger, the upcoming collaboration between superstar Tom Cruise and Mexican filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu has already generated a host of questions and comments. Responses range from hope that Digger will finally get Cruise his Oscar to worries that the movie will be as ponderous as Iñárritu’s Babel or Bardo. But at least one person has to have had this thought: “Surely, Mission: Impossible—The Final Reckoning wasn’t that bad!”

It’s not just that The Final Reckoning was one of the many Tom Cruise pictures featured in the trailer’s first two thirds, a montage of shots from movies ranging from Risky Business to Top Gun: Maverick. It’s that by putting its attention on Cruise’s movie star career, the Digger trailer brings to mind Iñárritu’s most successful film, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance). By juxtaposing Batman as the height of Michael Keaton‘s movie stardom to the fallow state of the actor’s popularity in 2014, Birdman revitalized Keaton’s career and cemented him as one of the greats. Does the metatextual trailer mean that Digger will do the same thing for Cruise, a man whose star has never fallen far, even after a lesser Mission: Impossible movie?

There’s no question that Cruise has had his ups and downs. Thanks to hits such as Risky Business and Top Gun, Cruise spent the ’80s and ’90s playing cocky and charismatic heroes. The movies of this period followed more or less the same plot line, with Cruise’s character beginning the movie thinking he’s the absolute best, running into people who don’t think he’s the best, and then proving to everyone at the end of the film that he was indeed the best.

By the end of the ’90s, Cruise demonstrated that he wanted to move beyond that limited character arc. He worked with auteurs such as Stanley Kubrick (Eyes Wide Shut), Steven Spielberg (Minority Report), and Michael Mann (Collateral), playing complicated characters, people whose abundant self-confidence betrays a deep brokenness. At the same time, Cruise revived his Mission: Impossible franchise, getting J. J. Abrams to direct Mission: Impossible III, which released six years after its predecessor dropped.

Interesting as that period was, it turned out that Mission: Impossible III would become the bellwether for the next decade. After his infamously weird behavior during an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2005, all of the more unsavory parts of Cruise’s life came to the fore: his relationship with the 16-year-younger Katie Holmes, the unpleasant end of his marriage to Nicole Kidman, and his connection to Scientology. These personal details made his screen persona less palatable, and while the Mission: Impossible movies continued to resonate with audiences, as did his outrageous and self-satisfied turn as studio executive Les Grossman in Tropic Thunder, stinkers such as Knight and Day, Rock of Ages, and Oblivion entered his filmography.

Then, something strange happened. Maybe it was the incredible trailer for Mission: Impossible—Fallout, or maybe it was his insistence upon holding Top Gun: Maverick until theaters reopened after the pandemic. Whatever it was, people forgave Tom Cruise, at least on screen. No one forgot about his weirdness or his Scientology; but his eccentricities were leveled out by the his passion for cinema. Nobody was talking about him as a Hollywood heartthrob, but we did appreciate him as a billionaire who regularly risks bodily harm for our entertainment.

In that regard, Cruise isn’t that different from Michael Keaton, circa 2014. Despite the differences in their career trajectories and popularities, neither Keaton then nor Cruise today is seen as a respected actor. They’re both living pieces of pop culture ephemera; Keaton because he played Batman decades ago, and Cruise because he’s the strangest movie star of our era.

Birdman used Keaton’s star persona and career arc to tell the story of another actor, haunted by the superhero he once played. Despite its flashy formal decisions, its single-take conceit and intrusive jazz score, Birdman resonated with audiences and made them appreciate Keaton anew, helping to make him a on-screen favorite.

At this point, it’s impossible to know if Digger will do the same. The trailer only contains a few seconds of new material, mostly impressionistic shots of Cruise’s character facing a crowd of desaturated rioters or shouting gibberish in a wood-paneled office. Further, it’s important to note that none of the Academy Awards won by Birdman went to Keaton (though Iñárritu helped Leonardo DiCaprio net an Oscar the next year with The Revenant).

Yet, if Iñárritu can turn our complicated feelings about our generation’s biggest movie star into dark comedy, the Digger may change the way we think about Tom Cruise, adding one more layer to this deeply odd figure.

Digger releases on October 2, 2026.

The post Can Digger Do for Tom Cruise What Birdman Did for Michael Keaton? appeared first on Den of Geek.

Some TV scenes don’t just stay in an episode; they stay in your head. Long after the credits roll, certain moments continue to feel heavy, unsettling, or emotionally overwhelming, no matter how many times you see them. Television has become more cinematic over the years, allowing shows to build tension slowly and deliver moments that hit with unexpected intensity. Whether it’s silence, a sudden twist, or pure emotional breakdown, these scenes manage to create a lasting chill that doesn’t fade with repetition. Here are fifteen TV moments that still feel as powerful as the first time.

The post TV Scenes That Still Give Us the Chills Every Time appeared first on Den of Geek.

The first trailer for Digger, the upcoming collaboration between superstar Tom Cruise and Mexican filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu has already generated a host of questions and comments. Responses range from hope that Digger will finally get Cruise his Oscar to worries that the movie will be as ponderous as Iñárritu’s Babel or Bardo. But at least one person has to have had this thought: “Surely, Mission: Impossible—The Final Reckoning wasn’t that bad!”

It’s not just that The Final Reckoning was one of the many Tom Cruise pictures featured in the trailer’s first two thirds, a montage of shots from movies ranging from Risky Business to Top Gun: Maverick. It’s that by putting its attention on Cruise’s movie star career, the Digger trailer brings to mind Iñárritu’s most successful film, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance). By juxtaposing Batman as the height of Michael Keaton‘s movie stardom to the fallow state of the actor’s popularity in 2014, Birdman revitalized Keaton’s career and cemented him as one of the greats. Does the metatextual trailer mean that Digger will do the same thing for Cruise, a man whose star has never fallen far, even after a lesser Mission: Impossible movie?

There’s no question that Cruise has had his ups and downs. Thanks to hits such as Risky Business and Top Gun, Cruise spent the ’80s and ’90s playing cocky and charismatic heroes. The movies of this period followed more or less the same plot line, with Cruise’s character beginning the movie thinking he’s the absolute best, running into people who don’t think he’s the best, and then proving to everyone at the end of the film that he was indeed the best.

By the end of the ’90s, Cruise demonstrated that he wanted to move beyond that limited character arc. He worked with auteurs such as Stanley Kubrick (Eyes Wide Shut), Steven Spielberg (Minority Report), and Michael Mann (Collateral), playing complicated characters, people whose abundant self-confidence betrays a deep brokenness. At the same time, Cruise revived his Mission: Impossible franchise, getting J. J. Abrams to direct Mission: Impossible III, which released six years after its predecessor dropped.

Interesting as that period was, it turned out that Mission: Impossible III would become the bellwether for the next decade. After his infamously weird behavior during an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2005, all of the more unsavory parts of Cruise’s life came to the fore: his relationship with the 16-year-younger Katie Holmes, the unpleasant end of his marriage to Nicole Kidman, and his connection to Scientology. These personal details made his screen persona less palatable, and while the Mission: Impossible movies continued to resonate with audiences, as did his outrageous and self-satisfied turn as studio executive Les Grossman in Tropic Thunder, stinkers such as Knight and Day, Rock of Ages, and Oblivion entered his filmography.

Then, something strange happened. Maybe it was the incredible trailer for Mission: Impossible—Fallout, or maybe it was his insistence upon holding Top Gun: Maverick until theaters reopened after the pandemic. Whatever it was, people forgave Tom Cruise, at least on screen. No one forgot about his weirdness or his Scientology; but his eccentricities were leveled out by the his passion for cinema. Nobody was talking about him as a Hollywood heartthrob, but we did appreciate him as a billionaire who regularly risks bodily harm for our entertainment.

In that regard, Cruise isn’t that different from Michael Keaton, circa 2014. Despite the differences in their career trajectories and popularities, neither Keaton then nor Cruise today is seen as a respected actor. They’re both living pieces of pop culture ephemera; Keaton because he played Batman decades ago, and Cruise because he’s the strangest movie star of our era.

Birdman used Keaton’s star persona and career arc to tell the story of another actor, haunted by the superhero he once played. Despite its flashy formal decisions, its single-take conceit and intrusive jazz score, Birdman resonated with audiences and made them appreciate Keaton anew, helping to make him a on-screen favorite.

At this point, it’s impossible to know if Digger will do the same. The trailer only contains a few seconds of new material, mostly impressionistic shots of Cruise’s character facing a crowd of desaturated rioters or shouting gibberish in a wood-paneled office. Further, it’s important to note that none of the Academy Awards won by Birdman went to Keaton (though Iñárritu helped Leonardo DiCaprio net an Oscar the next year with The Revenant).

Yet, if Iñárritu can turn our complicated feelings about our generation’s biggest movie star into dark comedy, the Digger may change the way we think about Tom Cruise, adding one more layer to this deeply odd figure.

Digger releases on October 2, 2026.

The post Can Digger Do for Tom Cruise What Birdman Did for Michael Keaton? appeared first on Den of Geek.

A lot of the tension a movie brings forward depends on the time it was made. Before the widespread use of cars and trains, simply traveling from one place to another was a challenge in and of itself, let alone what we can do today with modern technology.

This is why it’s fun to think how movies of old (and some not that old) view challenges that are simple nuances today. Widespread use of smartphones, GPS tracking and other tech marvels make our lives easier, and our plots redundant. These are movies completely solved by today’s technology.

The post 14 Movies That Would End in Ten Minutes With Modern Tech appeared first on Den of Geek.

The first trailer for Digger, the upcoming collaboration between superstar Tom Cruise and Mexican filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu has already generated a host of questions and comments. Responses range from hope that Digger will finally get Cruise his Oscar to worries that the movie will be as ponderous as Iñárritu’s Babel or Bardo. But at least one person has to have had this thought: “Surely, Mission: Impossible—The Final Reckoning wasn’t that bad!”

It’s not just that The Final Reckoning was one of the many Tom Cruise pictures featured in the trailer’s first two thirds, a montage of shots from movies ranging from Risky Business to Top Gun: Maverick. It’s that by putting its attention on Cruise’s movie star career, the Digger trailer brings to mind Iñárritu’s most successful film, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance). By juxtaposing Batman as the height of Michael Keaton‘s movie stardom to the fallow state of the actor’s popularity in 2014, Birdman revitalized Keaton’s career and cemented him as one of the greats. Does the metatextual trailer mean that Digger will do the same thing for Cruise, a man whose star has never fallen far, even after a lesser Mission: Impossible movie?

There’s no question that Cruise has had his ups and downs. Thanks to hits such as Risky Business and Top Gun, Cruise spent the ’80s and ’90s playing cocky and charismatic heroes. The movies of this period followed more or less the same plot line, with Cruise’s character beginning the movie thinking he’s the absolute best, running into people who don’t think he’s the best, and then proving to everyone at the end of the film that he was indeed the best.

By the end of the ’90s, Cruise demonstrated that he wanted to move beyond that limited character arc. He worked with auteurs such as Stanley Kubrick (Eyes Wide Shut), Steven Spielberg (Minority Report), and Michael Mann (Collateral), playing complicated characters, people whose abundant self-confidence betrays a deep brokenness. At the same time, Cruise revived his Mission: Impossible franchise, getting J. J. Abrams to direct Mission: Impossible III, which released six years after its predecessor dropped.

Interesting as that period was, it turned out that Mission: Impossible III would become the bellwether for the next decade. After his infamously weird behavior during an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2005, all of the more unsavory parts of Cruise’s life came to the fore: his relationship with the 16-year-younger Katie Holmes, the unpleasant end of his marriage to Nicole Kidman, and his connection to Scientology. These personal details made his screen persona less palatable, and while the Mission: Impossible movies continued to resonate with audiences, as did his outrageous and self-satisfied turn as studio executive Les Grossman in Tropic Thunder, stinkers such as Knight and Day, Rock of Ages, and Oblivion entered his filmography.

Then, something strange happened. Maybe it was the incredible trailer for Mission: Impossible—Fallout, or maybe it was his insistence upon holding Top Gun: Maverick until theaters reopened after the pandemic. Whatever it was, people forgave Tom Cruise, at least on screen. No one forgot about his weirdness or his Scientology; but his eccentricities were leveled out by the his passion for cinema. Nobody was talking about him as a Hollywood heartthrob, but we did appreciate him as a billionaire who regularly risks bodily harm for our entertainment.

In that regard, Cruise isn’t that different from Michael Keaton, circa 2014. Despite the differences in their career trajectories and popularities, neither Keaton then nor Cruise today is seen as a respected actor. They’re both living pieces of pop culture ephemera; Keaton because he played Batman decades ago, and Cruise because he’s the strangest movie star of our era.

Birdman used Keaton’s star persona and career arc to tell the story of another actor, haunted by the superhero he once played. Despite its flashy formal decisions, its single-take conceit and intrusive jazz score, Birdman resonated with audiences and made them appreciate Keaton anew, helping to make him a on-screen favorite.

At this point, it’s impossible to know if Digger will do the same. The trailer only contains a few seconds of new material, mostly impressionistic shots of Cruise’s character facing a crowd of desaturated rioters or shouting gibberish in a wood-paneled office. Further, it’s important to note that none of the Academy Awards won by Birdman went to Keaton (though Iñárritu helped Leonardo DiCaprio net an Oscar the next year with The Revenant).

Yet, if Iñárritu can turn our complicated feelings about our generation’s biggest movie star into dark comedy, the Digger may change the way we think about Tom Cruise, adding one more layer to this deeply odd figure.

Digger releases on October 2, 2026.

The post Can Digger Do for Tom Cruise What Birdman Did for Michael Keaton? appeared first on Den of Geek.

The least surprising part of the first trailer for season 2 of the Prime Video series Batman: Caped Crusader occurs in the last few seconds. That’s where the Joker makes his presence known, dropping a few cryptic lines before unleashing his signature laugh. Even before the Clown Prince of Crime’s reveal, the trailer is full […]

The post Batman: Caped Crusader Season 2 Trailer Promises More Deep Cut Villains appeared first on Den of Geek.

The first trailer for Digger, the upcoming collaboration between superstar Tom Cruise and Mexican filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu has already generated a host of questions and comments. Responses range from hope that Digger will finally get Cruise his Oscar to worries that the movie will be as ponderous as Iñárritu’s Babel or Bardo. But at least one person has to have had this thought: “Surely, Mission: Impossible—The Final Reckoning wasn’t that bad!”

It’s not just that The Final Reckoning was one of the many Tom Cruise pictures featured in the trailer’s first two thirds, a montage of shots from movies ranging from Risky Business to Top Gun: Maverick. It’s that by putting its attention on Cruise’s movie star career, the Digger trailer brings to mind Iñárritu’s most successful film, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance). By juxtaposing Batman as the height of Michael Keaton‘s movie stardom to the fallow state of the actor’s popularity in 2014, Birdman revitalized Keaton’s career and cemented him as one of the greats. Does the metatextual trailer mean that Digger will do the same thing for Cruise, a man whose star has never fallen far, even after a lesser Mission: Impossible movie?

There’s no question that Cruise has had his ups and downs. Thanks to hits such as Risky Business and Top Gun, Cruise spent the ’80s and ’90s playing cocky and charismatic heroes. The movies of this period followed more or less the same plot line, with Cruise’s character beginning the movie thinking he’s the absolute best, running into people who don’t think he’s the best, and then proving to everyone at the end of the film that he was indeed the best.

By the end of the ’90s, Cruise demonstrated that he wanted to move beyond that limited character arc. He worked with auteurs such as Stanley Kubrick (Eyes Wide Shut), Steven Spielberg (Minority Report), and Michael Mann (Collateral), playing complicated characters, people whose abundant self-confidence betrays a deep brokenness. At the same time, Cruise revived his Mission: Impossible franchise, getting J. J. Abrams to direct Mission: Impossible III, which released six years after its predecessor dropped.

Interesting as that period was, it turned out that Mission: Impossible III would become the bellwether for the next decade. After his infamously weird behavior during an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2005, all of the more unsavory parts of Cruise’s life came to the fore: his relationship with the 16-year-younger Katie Holmes, the unpleasant end of his marriage to Nicole Kidman, and his connection to Scientology. These personal details made his screen persona less palatable, and while the Mission: Impossible movies continued to resonate with audiences, as did his outrageous and self-satisfied turn as studio executive Les Grossman in Tropic Thunder, stinkers such as Knight and Day, Rock of Ages, and Oblivion entered his filmography.

Then, something strange happened. Maybe it was the incredible trailer for Mission: Impossible—Fallout, or maybe it was his insistence upon holding Top Gun: Maverick until theaters reopened after the pandemic. Whatever it was, people forgave Tom Cruise, at least on screen. No one forgot about his weirdness or his Scientology; but his eccentricities were leveled out by the his passion for cinema. Nobody was talking about him as a Hollywood heartthrob, but we did appreciate him as a billionaire who regularly risks bodily harm for our entertainment.

In that regard, Cruise isn’t that different from Michael Keaton, circa 2014. Despite the differences in their career trajectories and popularities, neither Keaton then nor Cruise today is seen as a respected actor. They’re both living pieces of pop culture ephemera; Keaton because he played Batman decades ago, and Cruise because he’s the strangest movie star of our era.

Birdman used Keaton’s star persona and career arc to tell the story of another actor, haunted by the superhero he once played. Despite its flashy formal decisions, its single-take conceit and intrusive jazz score, Birdman resonated with audiences and made them appreciate Keaton anew, helping to make him a on-screen favorite.

At this point, it’s impossible to know if Digger will do the same. The trailer only contains a few seconds of new material, mostly impressionistic shots of Cruise’s character facing a crowd of desaturated rioters or shouting gibberish in a wood-paneled office. Further, it’s important to note that none of the Academy Awards won by Birdman went to Keaton (though Iñárritu helped Leonardo DiCaprio net an Oscar the next year with The Revenant).

Yet, if Iñárritu can turn our complicated feelings about our generation’s biggest movie star into dark comedy, the Digger may change the way we think about Tom Cruise, adding one more layer to this deeply odd figure.

Digger releases on October 2, 2026.

The post Can Digger Do for Tom Cruise What Birdman Did for Michael Keaton? appeared first on Den of Geek.

Director Craig Gillespie, known for I, Tonya (2017) and Cruella (2021), ventures into superhero territory for the first time with the second film in the revamped DC Universe, Supergirl. Written by Ana Nogueira and drawing heavily on Tom King and Bilquis Evely’s Woman of Tomorrow graphic novel, the film makes for an engaging if ultimately […]

The post Supergirl Review: Milly Alcock Rocks in Uneven Space Western Mashup appeared first on Den of Geek.

The first trailer for Digger, the upcoming collaboration between superstar Tom Cruise and Mexican filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu has already generated a host of questions and comments. Responses range from hope that Digger will finally get Cruise his Oscar to worries that the movie will be as ponderous as Iñárritu’s Babel or Bardo. But at least one person has to have had this thought: “Surely, Mission: Impossible—The Final Reckoning wasn’t that bad!”

It’s not just that The Final Reckoning was one of the many Tom Cruise pictures featured in the trailer’s first two thirds, a montage of shots from movies ranging from Risky Business to Top Gun: Maverick. It’s that by putting its attention on Cruise’s movie star career, the Digger trailer brings to mind Iñárritu’s most successful film, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance). By juxtaposing Batman as the height of Michael Keaton‘s movie stardom to the fallow state of the actor’s popularity in 2014, Birdman revitalized Keaton’s career and cemented him as one of the greats. Does the metatextual trailer mean that Digger will do the same thing for Cruise, a man whose star has never fallen far, even after a lesser Mission: Impossible movie?

There’s no question that Cruise has had his ups and downs. Thanks to hits such as Risky Business and Top Gun, Cruise spent the ’80s and ’90s playing cocky and charismatic heroes. The movies of this period followed more or less the same plot line, with Cruise’s character beginning the movie thinking he’s the absolute best, running into people who don’t think he’s the best, and then proving to everyone at the end of the film that he was indeed the best.

By the end of the ’90s, Cruise demonstrated that he wanted to move beyond that limited character arc. He worked with auteurs such as Stanley Kubrick (Eyes Wide Shut), Steven Spielberg (Minority Report), and Michael Mann (Collateral), playing complicated characters, people whose abundant self-confidence betrays a deep brokenness. At the same time, Cruise revived his Mission: Impossible franchise, getting J. J. Abrams to direct Mission: Impossible III, which released six years after its predecessor dropped.

Interesting as that period was, it turned out that Mission: Impossible III would become the bellwether for the next decade. After his infamously weird behavior during an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2005, all of the more unsavory parts of Cruise’s life came to the fore: his relationship with the 16-year-younger Katie Holmes, the unpleasant end of his marriage to Nicole Kidman, and his connection to Scientology. These personal details made his screen persona less palatable, and while the Mission: Impossible movies continued to resonate with audiences, as did his outrageous and self-satisfied turn as studio executive Les Grossman in Tropic Thunder, stinkers such as Knight and Day, Rock of Ages, and Oblivion entered his filmography.

Then, something strange happened. Maybe it was the incredible trailer for Mission: Impossible—Fallout, or maybe it was his insistence upon holding Top Gun: Maverick until theaters reopened after the pandemic. Whatever it was, people forgave Tom Cruise, at least on screen. No one forgot about his weirdness or his Scientology; but his eccentricities were leveled out by the his passion for cinema. Nobody was talking about him as a Hollywood heartthrob, but we did appreciate him as a billionaire who regularly risks bodily harm for our entertainment.

In that regard, Cruise isn’t that different from Michael Keaton, circa 2014. Despite the differences in their career trajectories and popularities, neither Keaton then nor Cruise today is seen as a respected actor. They’re both living pieces of pop culture ephemera; Keaton because he played Batman decades ago, and Cruise because he’s the strangest movie star of our era.

Birdman used Keaton’s star persona and career arc to tell the story of another actor, haunted by the superhero he once played. Despite its flashy formal decisions, its single-take conceit and intrusive jazz score, Birdman resonated with audiences and made them appreciate Keaton anew, helping to make him a on-screen favorite.

At this point, it’s impossible to know if Digger will do the same. The trailer only contains a few seconds of new material, mostly impressionistic shots of Cruise’s character facing a crowd of desaturated rioters or shouting gibberish in a wood-paneled office. Further, it’s important to note that none of the Academy Awards won by Birdman went to Keaton (though Iñárritu helped Leonardo DiCaprio net an Oscar the next year with The Revenant).

Yet, if Iñárritu can turn our complicated feelings about our generation’s biggest movie star into dark comedy, the Digger may change the way we think about Tom Cruise, adding one more layer to this deeply odd figure.

Digger releases on October 2, 2026.

The post Can Digger Do for Tom Cruise What Birdman Did for Michael Keaton? appeared first on Den of Geek.

After an extended period of dormancy, it’s a really good time to be a Silent Hill fan and that hot streak doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon. Following 2024’s Silent Hill 2 remake and last year’s Silent Hill f, this September will see the release of Silent Hill: Townfall. We got to see […]

The post Silent Hill: Townfall Leans Hard Into Melancholia and We’re Here for It appeared first on Den of Geek.

The first trailer for Digger, the upcoming collaboration between superstar Tom Cruise and Mexican filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu has already generated a host of questions and comments. Responses range from hope that Digger will finally get Cruise his Oscar to worries that the movie will be as ponderous as Iñárritu’s Babel or Bardo. But at least one person has to have had this thought: “Surely, Mission: Impossible—The Final Reckoning wasn’t that bad!”

It’s not just that The Final Reckoning was one of the many Tom Cruise pictures featured in the trailer’s first two thirds, a montage of shots from movies ranging from Risky Business to Top Gun: Maverick. It’s that by putting its attention on Cruise’s movie star career, the Digger trailer brings to mind Iñárritu’s most successful film, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance). By juxtaposing Batman as the height of Michael Keaton‘s movie stardom to the fallow state of the actor’s popularity in 2014, Birdman revitalized Keaton’s career and cemented him as one of the greats. Does the metatextual trailer mean that Digger will do the same thing for Cruise, a man whose star has never fallen far, even after a lesser Mission: Impossible movie?

There’s no question that Cruise has had his ups and downs. Thanks to hits such as Risky Business and Top Gun, Cruise spent the ’80s and ’90s playing cocky and charismatic heroes. The movies of this period followed more or less the same plot line, with Cruise’s character beginning the movie thinking he’s the absolute best, running into people who don’t think he’s the best, and then proving to everyone at the end of the film that he was indeed the best.

By the end of the ’90s, Cruise demonstrated that he wanted to move beyond that limited character arc. He worked with auteurs such as Stanley Kubrick (Eyes Wide Shut), Steven Spielberg (Minority Report), and Michael Mann (Collateral), playing complicated characters, people whose abundant self-confidence betrays a deep brokenness. At the same time, Cruise revived his Mission: Impossible franchise, getting J. J. Abrams to direct Mission: Impossible III, which released six years after its predecessor dropped.

Interesting as that period was, it turned out that Mission: Impossible III would become the bellwether for the next decade. After his infamously weird behavior during an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2005, all of the more unsavory parts of Cruise’s life came to the fore: his relationship with the 16-year-younger Katie Holmes, the unpleasant end of his marriage to Nicole Kidman, and his connection to Scientology. These personal details made his screen persona less palatable, and while the Mission: Impossible movies continued to resonate with audiences, as did his outrageous and self-satisfied turn as studio executive Les Grossman in Tropic Thunder, stinkers such as Knight and Day, Rock of Ages, and Oblivion entered his filmography.

Then, something strange happened. Maybe it was the incredible trailer for Mission: Impossible—Fallout, or maybe it was his insistence upon holding Top Gun: Maverick until theaters reopened after the pandemic. Whatever it was, people forgave Tom Cruise, at least on screen. No one forgot about his weirdness or his Scientology; but his eccentricities were leveled out by the his passion for cinema. Nobody was talking about him as a Hollywood heartthrob, but we did appreciate him as a billionaire who regularly risks bodily harm for our entertainment.

In that regard, Cruise isn’t that different from Michael Keaton, circa 2014. Despite the differences in their career trajectories and popularities, neither Keaton then nor Cruise today is seen as a respected actor. They’re both living pieces of pop culture ephemera; Keaton because he played Batman decades ago, and Cruise because he’s the strangest movie star of our era.

Birdman used Keaton’s star persona and career arc to tell the story of another actor, haunted by the superhero he once played. Despite its flashy formal decisions, its single-take conceit and intrusive jazz score, Birdman resonated with audiences and made them appreciate Keaton anew, helping to make him a on-screen favorite.

At this point, it’s impossible to know if Digger will do the same. The trailer only contains a few seconds of new material, mostly impressionistic shots of Cruise’s character facing a crowd of desaturated rioters or shouting gibberish in a wood-paneled office. Further, it’s important to note that none of the Academy Awards won by Birdman went to Keaton (though Iñárritu helped Leonardo DiCaprio net an Oscar the next year with The Revenant).

Yet, if Iñárritu can turn our complicated feelings about our generation’s biggest movie star into dark comedy, the Digger may change the way we think about Tom Cruise, adding one more layer to this deeply odd figure.

Digger releases on October 2, 2026.

The post Can Digger Do for Tom Cruise What Birdman Did for Michael Keaton? appeared first on Den of Geek.

Here is what we all know about the Ghostbusters: 1) they ain’t ‘fraid of no ghosts; 2) bustin’ makes them feel good; 3) their names are Ray Stantz, Peter Venkman, Egon Spengler, and Winston Zeddemore. Certainly, the franchise has tried several times over the past 40 years to change point number three, most obviously with […]

The post Ghostbusters: Night Shift Can Move the Franchise Beyond the Core Four appeared first on Den of Geek.

The first trailer for Digger, the upcoming collaboration between superstar Tom Cruise and Mexican filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu has already generated a host of questions and comments. Responses range from hope that Digger will finally get Cruise his Oscar to worries that the movie will be as ponderous as Iñárritu’s Babel or Bardo. But at least one person has to have had this thought: “Surely, Mission: Impossible—The Final Reckoning wasn’t that bad!”

It’s not just that The Final Reckoning was one of the many Tom Cruise pictures featured in the trailer’s first two thirds, a montage of shots from movies ranging from Risky Business to Top Gun: Maverick. It’s that by putting its attention on Cruise’s movie star career, the Digger trailer brings to mind Iñárritu’s most successful film, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance). By juxtaposing Batman as the height of Michael Keaton‘s movie stardom to the fallow state of the actor’s popularity in 2014, Birdman revitalized Keaton’s career and cemented him as one of the greats. Does the metatextual trailer mean that Digger will do the same thing for Cruise, a man whose star has never fallen far, even after a lesser Mission: Impossible movie?

There’s no question that Cruise has had his ups and downs. Thanks to hits such as Risky Business and Top Gun, Cruise spent the ’80s and ’90s playing cocky and charismatic heroes. The movies of this period followed more or less the same plot line, with Cruise’s character beginning the movie thinking he’s the absolute best, running into people who don’t think he’s the best, and then proving to everyone at the end of the film that he was indeed the best.

By the end of the ’90s, Cruise demonstrated that he wanted to move beyond that limited character arc. He worked with auteurs such as Stanley Kubrick (Eyes Wide Shut), Steven Spielberg (Minority Report), and Michael Mann (Collateral), playing complicated characters, people whose abundant self-confidence betrays a deep brokenness. At the same time, Cruise revived his Mission: Impossible franchise, getting J. J. Abrams to direct Mission: Impossible III, which released six years after its predecessor dropped.

Interesting as that period was, it turned out that Mission: Impossible III would become the bellwether for the next decade. After his infamously weird behavior during an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2005, all of the more unsavory parts of Cruise’s life came to the fore: his relationship with the 16-year-younger Katie Holmes, the unpleasant end of his marriage to Nicole Kidman, and his connection to Scientology. These personal details made his screen persona less palatable, and while the Mission: Impossible movies continued to resonate with audiences, as did his outrageous and self-satisfied turn as studio executive Les Grossman in Tropic Thunder, stinkers such as Knight and Day, Rock of Ages, and Oblivion entered his filmography.

Then, something strange happened. Maybe it was the incredible trailer for Mission: Impossible—Fallout, or maybe it was his insistence upon holding Top Gun: Maverick until theaters reopened after the pandemic. Whatever it was, people forgave Tom Cruise, at least on screen. No one forgot about his weirdness or his Scientology; but his eccentricities were leveled out by the his passion for cinema. Nobody was talking about him as a Hollywood heartthrob, but we did appreciate him as a billionaire who regularly risks bodily harm for our entertainment.

In that regard, Cruise isn’t that different from Michael Keaton, circa 2014. Despite the differences in their career trajectories and popularities, neither Keaton then nor Cruise today is seen as a respected actor. They’re both living pieces of pop culture ephemera; Keaton because he played Batman decades ago, and Cruise because he’s the strangest movie star of our era.

Birdman used Keaton’s star persona and career arc to tell the story of another actor, haunted by the superhero he once played. Despite its flashy formal decisions, its single-take conceit and intrusive jazz score, Birdman resonated with audiences and made them appreciate Keaton anew, helping to make him a on-screen favorite.

At this point, it’s impossible to know if Digger will do the same. The trailer only contains a few seconds of new material, mostly impressionistic shots of Cruise’s character facing a crowd of desaturated rioters or shouting gibberish in a wood-paneled office. Further, it’s important to note that none of the Academy Awards won by Birdman went to Keaton (though Iñárritu helped Leonardo DiCaprio net an Oscar the next year with The Revenant).

Yet, if Iñárritu can turn our complicated feelings about our generation’s biggest movie star into dark comedy, the Digger may change the way we think about Tom Cruise, adding one more layer to this deeply odd figure.

Digger releases on October 2, 2026.

The post Can Digger Do for Tom Cruise What Birdman Did for Michael Keaton? appeared first on Den of Geek.

The first trailer for Digger, the upcoming collaboration between superstar Tom Cruise and Mexican filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu has already generated a host of questions and comments. Responses range from hope that Digger will finally get Cruise his Oscar to worries that the movie will be as ponderous as Iñárritu’s Babel or Bardo. But at […]

The post Can Digger Do for Tom Cruise What Birdman Did for Michael Keaton? appeared first on Den of Geek.

The first trailer for Digger, the upcoming collaboration between superstar Tom Cruise and Mexican filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu has already generated a host of questions and comments. Responses range from hope that Digger will finally get Cruise his Oscar to worries that the movie will be as ponderous as Iñárritu’s Babel or Bardo. But at least one person has to have had this thought: “Surely, Mission: Impossible—The Final Reckoning wasn’t that bad!”

It’s not just that The Final Reckoning was one of the many Tom Cruise pictures featured in the trailer’s first two thirds, a montage of shots from movies ranging from Risky Business to Top Gun: Maverick. It’s that by putting its attention on Cruise’s movie star career, the Digger trailer brings to mind Iñárritu’s most successful film, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance). By juxtaposing Batman as the height of Michael Keaton‘s movie stardom to the fallow state of the actor’s popularity in 2014, Birdman revitalized Keaton’s career and cemented him as one of the greats. Does the metatextual trailer mean that Digger will do the same thing for Cruise, a man whose star has never fallen far, even after a lesser Mission: Impossible movie?

There’s no question that Cruise has had his ups and downs. Thanks to hits such as Risky Business and Top Gun, Cruise spent the ’80s and ’90s playing cocky and charismatic heroes. The movies of this period followed more or less the same plot line, with Cruise’s character beginning the movie thinking he’s the absolute best, running into people who don’t think he’s the best, and then proving to everyone at the end of the film that he was indeed the best.

By the end of the ’90s, Cruise demonstrated that he wanted to move beyond that limited character arc. He worked with auteurs such as Stanley Kubrick (Eyes Wide Shut), Steven Spielberg (Minority Report), and Michael Mann (Collateral), playing complicated characters, people whose abundant self-confidence betrays a deep brokenness. At the same time, Cruise revived his Mission: Impossible franchise, getting J. J. Abrams to direct Mission: Impossible III, which released six years after its predecessor dropped.

Interesting as that period was, it turned out that Mission: Impossible III would become the bellwether for the next decade. After his infamously weird behavior during an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2005, all of the more unsavory parts of Cruise’s life came to the fore: his relationship with the 16-year-younger Katie Holmes, the unpleasant end of his marriage to Nicole Kidman, and his connection to Scientology. These personal details made his screen persona less palatable, and while the Mission: Impossible movies continued to resonate with audiences, as did his outrageous and self-satisfied turn as studio executive Les Grossman in Tropic Thunder, stinkers such as Knight and Day, Rock of Ages, and Oblivion entered his filmography.

Then, something strange happened. Maybe it was the incredible trailer for Mission: Impossible—Fallout, or maybe it was his insistence upon holding Top Gun: Maverick until theaters reopened after the pandemic. Whatever it was, people forgave Tom Cruise, at least on screen. No one forgot about his weirdness or his Scientology; but his eccentricities were leveled out by the his passion for cinema. Nobody was talking about him as a Hollywood heartthrob, but we did appreciate him as a billionaire who regularly risks bodily harm for our entertainment.

In that regard, Cruise isn’t that different from Michael Keaton, circa 2014. Despite the differences in their career trajectories and popularities, neither Keaton then nor Cruise today is seen as a respected actor. They’re both living pieces of pop culture ephemera; Keaton because he played Batman decades ago, and Cruise because he’s the strangest movie star of our era.

Birdman used Keaton’s star persona and career arc to tell the story of another actor, haunted by the superhero he once played. Despite its flashy formal decisions, its single-take conceit and intrusive jazz score, Birdman resonated with audiences and made them appreciate Keaton anew, helping to make him a on-screen favorite.

At this point, it’s impossible to know if Digger will do the same. The trailer only contains a few seconds of new material, mostly impressionistic shots of Cruise’s character facing a crowd of desaturated rioters or shouting gibberish in a wood-paneled office. Further, it’s important to note that none of the Academy Awards won by Birdman went to Keaton (though Iñárritu helped Leonardo DiCaprio net an Oscar the next year with The Revenant).

Yet, if Iñárritu can turn our complicated feelings about our generation’s biggest movie star into dark comedy, the Digger may change the way we think about Tom Cruise, adding one more layer to this deeply odd figure.

Digger releases on October 2, 2026.

The post Can Digger Do for Tom Cruise What Birdman Did for Michael Keaton? appeared first on Den of Geek.

This article contains spoilers for Daredevil: Born Again seasons 2 and 3. Turns out, the title Born Again doesn’t just refer to Daredevil. Since coming to the MCU via the Disney+ series, the Man Without Fear has brought along several characters from the Netflix series, including Vincent D’Onofrio as archenemy Wilson Fisk, Krysten Ritter as […]

The post Daredevil: Born Again Season 3 Set Photos Tease a Hero’s Replacement appeared first on Den of Geek.

The first trailer for Digger, the upcoming collaboration between superstar Tom Cruise and Mexican filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu has already generated a host of questions and comments. Responses range from hope that Digger will finally get Cruise his Oscar to worries that the movie will be as ponderous as Iñárritu’s Babel or Bardo. But at least one person has to have had this thought: “Surely, Mission: Impossible—The Final Reckoning wasn’t that bad!”

It’s not just that The Final Reckoning was one of the many Tom Cruise pictures featured in the trailer’s first two thirds, a montage of shots from movies ranging from Risky Business to Top Gun: Maverick. It’s that by putting its attention on Cruise’s movie star career, the Digger trailer brings to mind Iñárritu’s most successful film, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance). By juxtaposing Batman as the height of Michael Keaton‘s movie stardom to the fallow state of the actor’s popularity in 2014, Birdman revitalized Keaton’s career and cemented him as one of the greats. Does the metatextual trailer mean that Digger will do the same thing for Cruise, a man whose star has never fallen far, even after a lesser Mission: Impossible movie?

There’s no question that Cruise has had his ups and downs. Thanks to hits such as Risky Business and Top Gun, Cruise spent the ’80s and ’90s playing cocky and charismatic heroes. The movies of this period followed more or less the same plot line, with Cruise’s character beginning the movie thinking he’s the absolute best, running into people who don’t think he’s the best, and then proving to everyone at the end of the film that he was indeed the best.

By the end of the ’90s, Cruise demonstrated that he wanted to move beyond that limited character arc. He worked with auteurs such as Stanley Kubrick (Eyes Wide Shut), Steven Spielberg (Minority Report), and Michael Mann (Collateral), playing complicated characters, people whose abundant self-confidence betrays a deep brokenness. At the same time, Cruise revived his Mission: Impossible franchise, getting J. J. Abrams to direct Mission: Impossible III, which released six years after its predecessor dropped.

Interesting as that period was, it turned out that Mission: Impossible III would become the bellwether for the next decade. After his infamously weird behavior during an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2005, all of the more unsavory parts of Cruise’s life came to the fore: his relationship with the 16-year-younger Katie Holmes, the unpleasant end of his marriage to Nicole Kidman, and his connection to Scientology. These personal details made his screen persona less palatable, and while the Mission: Impossible movies continued to resonate with audiences, as did his outrageous and self-satisfied turn as studio executive Les Grossman in Tropic Thunder, stinkers such as Knight and Day, Rock of Ages, and Oblivion entered his filmography.

Then, something strange happened. Maybe it was the incredible trailer for Mission: Impossible—Fallout, or maybe it was his insistence upon holding Top Gun: Maverick until theaters reopened after the pandemic. Whatever it was, people forgave Tom Cruise, at least on screen. No one forgot about his weirdness or his Scientology; but his eccentricities were leveled out by the his passion for cinema. Nobody was talking about him as a Hollywood heartthrob, but we did appreciate him as a billionaire who regularly risks bodily harm for our entertainment.

In that regard, Cruise isn’t that different from Michael Keaton, circa 2014. Despite the differences in their career trajectories and popularities, neither Keaton then nor Cruise today is seen as a respected actor. They’re both living pieces of pop culture ephemera; Keaton because he played Batman decades ago, and Cruise because he’s the strangest movie star of our era.

Birdman used Keaton’s star persona and career arc to tell the story of another actor, haunted by the superhero he once played. Despite its flashy formal decisions, its single-take conceit and intrusive jazz score, Birdman resonated with audiences and made them appreciate Keaton anew, helping to make him a on-screen favorite.

At this point, it’s impossible to know if Digger will do the same. The trailer only contains a few seconds of new material, mostly impressionistic shots of Cruise’s character facing a crowd of desaturated rioters or shouting gibberish in a wood-paneled office. Further, it’s important to note that none of the Academy Awards won by Birdman went to Keaton (though Iñárritu helped Leonardo DiCaprio net an Oscar the next year with The Revenant).

Yet, if Iñárritu can turn our complicated feelings about our generation’s biggest movie star into dark comedy, the Digger may change the way we think about Tom Cruise, adding one more layer to this deeply odd figure.

Digger releases on October 2, 2026.

The post Can Digger Do for Tom Cruise What Birdman Did for Michael Keaton? appeared first on Den of Geek.