"Digger" sits at 52% on Rotten Tomatoes and 46 on Metacritic — middling scores that should, on paper, end any awards run. Yet the Iñárritu-directed drama remains a Top 3 contender for Best Makeup and Hairstyling, anchored by Tom Cruise's physical transformation into a balding, aging oil tycoon.

What do the critics' scores really mean?

A 52% Rotten Tomatoes rating isn't fatal. The Warner Bros. release is falling out of other races but holding firm where craft matters. That pattern echoes several recent and historical cases where critical drubbing failed to kill Oscar momentum.

Which panned films still reached the Dolby Theatre?

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (2011) managed only 45% on RT and still landed two Oscar nominations: Best Picture and Best Supporting Actor for Max von Sydow. The post-9/11 drama also drew four Critics Choice bids, with Thomas Horn winning Best Young Performer.

Netflix's Don't Look Up (2021) — another climate-change satire, like Digger — converted a 56% RT score into four Oscar nominations (Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing, Best Score), four Golden Globe nods, and six Critics Choice mentions, including one for Ariana Grande's "Just Look Up."

Bohemian Rhapsody (2018) caused the loudest critic backlash. A 60% RT score failed to block five Oscar bids. The Queen biopic won four: Best Actor for Rami Malek, Best Film Editing, Best Sound Editing, and Best Sound Mixing. It lost Best Picture. Malek also took hardware at BAFTA, SAG, and the Golden Globes.

Why does Iñárritu's record matter?

Iñárritu has not missed at the Oscars once. All seven of his previous feature films earned at least one nomination, including Bardo (2022), which drew a Best Cinematography bid despite widespread pans. He has directed 10 actors to Oscar nominations. Leonardo DiCaprio is his lone acting winner, taking Best Actor for The Revenant. If Cruise earns a nomination for Digger, he becomes No. 11.

Which categories still have room for Digger?

The film is craft-heavy. Standout categories include cinematography, costumes, sound, and, most prominently, makeup and hairstyling. Top 3 placement there gives the campaign a foothold with one of the Academy's smallest branches, where hands-on technical work tends to resonate more than overall critical standing.

Who is publicly backing the film?

After the box-office disappointment, several Oscar-winning colleagues rallied around Iñárritu. Alfonso Cuarón posted early negative reviews of canonized films: 2001: A Space Odyssey, Blade Runner, and The Shining. Guillermo del Toro declared, "Love the arts; f--k the charts." Anne Hathaway said, "I loved this brilliant movie." Jane Fonda urged Iñárritu to "keep being brave."

Will Hollywood back him at the ballot box?

Public support does not convert automatically into branch votes. Makeup and Hairstyling, Sound, and Costume Design branches often reward technical craft regardless of overall reception. Digger's remaining path runs through those rooms, where Iñárritu's craft-heavy instincts may still register — and where a 52% Rotten Tomatoes number carries the weight of a footnote.