Movie Reviews

‘Dig'(2022) review: Conflicting story never finds its way

Over the top in the wrong way.

September 21, 2022

Dig is about a widower named Scott Brennan (Thomas Jane, The Predator) and his mostly deaf daughter Jane (played by Jane’s real life daughter, Harlow). Their relationship is frayed after an incident that left Scott’s wife dead and Jane hearing impaired. The two are taken hostage by a dangerous couple and are forced to to dig for something that is buried beneath their property.

It is a tense situation that is heightened by the animosity Jane has towards her father. Unsurprisingly, the protagonists have great chemistry. What does stand out is the performance from Harlow. It is a largely non-speaking part that skews towards cliché, but is still one that audiences will be interested in.

For better and worse, Victor (Emile Hirsch, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) and Lola (Liana Liberato, The Beach House) are the real stand outs in Dig. The two can be incredibly frightening. They are unhinged and have no problems resorting to violence to get what they want. The pair also have some of the best interactions in the film.

That being said, the villains have a tendency to be incredibly over the top. This leads to some funny moments that go against the tone the movie is working to establish. Victor’s accent that borders on parody and Lola’s constant screaming end up being more comical than menacing. When half the cast is playing ultra serious and the other half goes all in on being wacky, it leads to a very confusing watch.

Thomas and Harlow Jane are up to the task, and Liberato eventually finds her groove, but Dig never quite brings it all together. It often feels like it is moving from one set piece to the next. It is never aggressively bad, it just feels like it is lacking.