Tom Cruise's new thriller 'Digger' opened Thursday to a rare critical drubbing, landing a Rotten Tomatoes score in the low double digits after its review embargo lifted. The reception marks the harshest of Cruise's decades-long career.

One widely quoted review declared that "audiences will urgently want to leave after the first five minutes." The line circulated across entertainment outlets ahead of the film's wide release, setting expectations for a difficult opening weekend.

Cruise, who both starred in and produced the film, has built his recent brand on the box-office success of the 'Mission: Impossible' and 'Top Gun: Maverick' franchises. 'Digger' represented a departure into an original, non-franchise property, a bet that industry analysts had watched closely given the risks of standalone action films in the current market.

Distributors and exhibitors anticipated a subdued Thursday preview and Friday debut, with trade publications including Variety and Deadline projecting the weekend as a test of Cruise's drawing power outside established series. The scale of the negative response drew immediate industry attention.

Studio representatives emphasised strong advance ticket sales in premium formats and argued that audience reaction would diverge from critics, a common defence for star-driven action films facing hostile reviews.