A father and daughter, living through tragedy–unable to come to terms with the horrors of their past. When the father, Scott (Thomas Jane), takes a construction job, he takes his daughter, Jane (Harlow Jane), along for the ride. When a vindictive and psychopathic couple takes the father-daughter duo hostage, they must fight for their lives and for everything they care about. When the intentions of the couple are revealed, Scott and Jane must Dig deep and find a way to survive.
I saw the names T. Jane and Emile Hirsch, and I immediately began forming expectations in my head. I figured that even if the film itself wasn’t too entertaining, at least these two seasoned individuals would be capable of creating some semblance of entertainment. Without being too crass, I couldn’t have been more wrong about these two, and that’s terribly frustrating. Dig never gets going, and T. Jane and Hirsch do nothing to help the film.
It’s clear from the opening moments of Dig that the intention is to make the film as intense as possible–but that appears to be accidentally coupled with subtle comedy that negates the intensity the attempts to permeate the film. The film quickly becomes a game of tug of war between comedy and drama–and they constantly steal from one another, regularly creating unnecessary and detrimental chaos. Dig can’t seem to get out of its own way in terms of style, tone, and mood–and it’s sad to say that the ship is never righted, it’s only thrown more off course as the film progresses.
Again, I had hoped that the two big names that were tasked with leading Dig would be able to hold their own, give the film purpose, and help to balance any less-than-ideal aspects present in the film. However, T. Jane and Hirsch, who play opposite one another throughout the course of Dig, never get in a rhythm–but it’s not entirely their fault. Cheesy pop culture references, ridiculous one-liners, and generally poor dialogue make it difficult for them to find their footing, express any real emotion, and/or create something worth writing home about. T. Jane and Hirsch find themselves playing alongside newcomer H. Jane, and Liana Liberato (Lola)–who also find themselves falling victim to poor writing. No one is given the opportunity to shine, and it’s no surprise that, based on all that I’ve said about the writing, each and every one of the characters fails on a number of levels.
I believe that the plot has potential, and, given better writing, it would have the ability to reach viewers emotionally. Ultimately, all of the film’s failures stem from the writing, and the development of Dig’s story is no exception. Again, at the root of this film a story exists that has the potential to work–but the unexplainable, the silliest, and the most ridiculous things that can happen throughout often plague the film. Dig needs something a tad simpler, more accessible by viewers–but Writers Banipal and Benhur Ablakhad reach entirely too far, drowning out what could have been wonderful. His overzealousness hinders the film from beginning to end, and that’s incredibly sad.
Dig is one of the biggest disappointments of the year, never finding tonal balance, never creating anything accessible to viewers, and setting its actors up to fail from the get go. With all the potential that exists within this film, it becomes all the more disappointing–and viewers become bored almost immediately. Every chance that the film has to turn a corner and make things better is hindered–failing time and time again. Dig is a challenge to get through, and it’s one of the most frustrating films of 2022.
Directed by K. Asher Levin.
Written by Banipal Ablakhad & Benhur Ablakhad.
Starring Thomas Jane, Liana Liberato, Harlow Jane, Emile Hirsch, David Makana, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
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