Dig (II) (2022) User Reviews

Tedious

[zack_gideon · 3/10 · 24 September 2022]

The movie is pretty tedious to be honest. It starts off kind of ok, then just goes down hill bit by bit, scene by scene. There is way way too much dialogue and I kind of feel bad for the actors because the script is pretty lame.

There are a few good scenes, but overall I barely made it to the end. And by the end you just want it to end already.

I keep wondering how scripts like this get good actors to sign on board, how do they not know how bad the script and film would turn out?

Also, the director chose this honkey tonk soundtrack instead of a score so that also doesn't work. 3/10. Thanks for the effort but it just didn't work out.

Meh

[Jim_Screechy · 4/10 · 25 September 2022]

This movie is a bit of a damp squid, or lame duck, (depending on your geographical location). This is primarily because of the acting. At first I though the script was at fault, and although some exchanges are lengthy, and let me be candid, this movie relies heavily on dialogue, but no, it's really the acting which lets it down... and the screenplay to some extent. It's not to say the script is bad. Its good overall, but needs tightening up in a few place, its just not tight enough for a project so heavily reliant on it

The acting on the other hand is an entirely different matter. Emil Hirsch in particular is miscast. He doesn't carry off the hillbilly redneck well enough, its forced and unnatural. Liana Liberator who plays his girlfriend sidekick is worse. They are a bargain bucket version of Oliver Stones 'Natural Born Killers' pairing played by Wood Harrelson and Juliet Lewis and there is no glossing over the shortcomings they have. Even Thomas Jane's character seems contrived and overplayed, which leads me to believe that K Asher Levin who directs this one may be at fault.

The story starts of well enough but sadly goes steadily down hill after the opening act and it becomes a bit of a slug fest after that.

I'm not going to go into great detail because it's not really worth it.

I'll give it 4 because its not terrible, but i did have a hard time making it to the end, which is always a big sign of a movies shortcomings.

Can't recommend it in all honesty.

Bad

[steveorr-01599 · 3/10 · 26 January 2023]

Seriously, two proven killers (we saw them do three) keep letting these two almost escape and then don't kill them. T Jane's character is so stupid (flagging down a vehicle they can't see) and "let's get out of here" when two armed people are 50 feet away? They made it maybe 30 yards. And still not dead. Giving the the electrical worker clues to call the cops when one of the killers is listening and has your daughter?

We never find out what is in the box that needs to be excavated (except the dead brother.) Why dig at all when there is a ton of money (drugs) in the walls?

Just really stupid.

A Slow And Steady Decline Into Mediocrity

[damianphelps · 2/10 · 2 November 2022]

I have always enjoyed Thomas Jane I find he brings an underlying humour to his work that I like. I also don't mind Emile Hirsch.

But But But...

Oh boy does this movie seriously suck. The characters are fundamentally awful, one dimensional and dare I say it boring. The daughter, played by (who cares) literally removes pieces of your soul each time she is on screen (which is a lot).

Its mega predictable and offers nothing of interest to anything more intelligent than single cell amoebas.

I only gave it two stars because it has Thomas Jane in it.

Better to DIG yourself a hole, climb in and slowly pull the dirt over your face :)

DIg, Dag, Dumb

[GuySolis · 1/10 · 23 January 2023]

The title of this movie should say it all. It's dirt. I run into horrible movies with great actors in them all the time but this one is so aggravating. Emile Hirsch is usually good for some entertainment but instead the produces gave him baby dialogue. He would quote baby book titles and even the characters in the books thinking he were some genius but Emile did say he only had a 4th grade education. Also, my biggest pet peeve is for someone to finally get the upper hand and he bonks the bad guy on the head then turns around and runs but he immediately gets caught. Every single time the bad guy gets up and catches them..so annoying and predictable..Bad movie, bad writing and everyone involved in this movie should be yelled at..

Too padded out

[Leofwine_draca · 4/10 · 25 May 2023]

Well, this isn't great. DIG is a home invasion thriller in which an ageing Thomas Jane plays a widowed father with a volatile relationship with his own teenage daughter. One day, they're at their rural farmhouse when a sadistic couple of criminals show up, looking to retrieve something buried on the site. And that's the plot. Immediately the thought is, can they sustain the suspense till the credits roll, and the answer to that is...definitely not. In fact, at least half of this film seems to be heavily padded, with repetitive dialogue and too many scenes of characters getting beaten up all the time. Hirsch's villain overacts, and the climax, when it eventually comes, isn't worth the wait.

He looks small

[nogodnomasters · 5/10 · 2 October 2022]

Scott Brennan (Thomas Jane) runs a Salvage Yard. His 16 year old daughter (Harlow Jane) runs off to a party with older boys. Scott and his wife go retrieve her. An altercation happens and his wife is killed. The daughter ends up mostly deaf and also becomes a trauma mute. They both blame each other for their mother's death after one year. Vic (Emile Hirsch) shows up at Scott's salvage and has a job he wants done and will pay a lot for it. Scott cancels his plans and takes his daughter and a workman out to the site to strip it clean. Vic show up with his girlfriend Lola (Liana Liberato) and hold them at gun point demanding they dig a hole in the patio.

We don't know what they are looking, but there are enough clues to figure it out before they get there. Liana Liberato did an excellent job as a female killer for those who miss Harley Quinn. Emile Hirsch was also good. The script lacked decent dialogue for everybody else, allowing the bad guys to steal the scenes.

Guide F-word. No nudity.

Painfully rubber mallet to watch

[michaelwplde · 2/10 · 26 September 2022]

Signature scenes the rubber mallet, that about says it all. Between my eyes, over and over again, the whole time. Thinly veiled macguffins, reasons for the characters having investment, motivation, plot devices, whatever. Pretty much that way throughout; by the time the thugs are holding the heroes captive, more of the same, more rubber mallet blows to the viewer's face. Get it over with already. How many more characters do I really need to describe just how much of a lame duck this one really was. So many were the plot devices, motivations, etc, was it really that interesting, no, not really. I am finally done.

One location thriller

[stevenemorri · 7/10 · 2 October 2022]

I usually don't leave reviews but was excited to see this one because I started doing coverages for a production company before the pandemic, this was one of the scripts I remember reading. Really enjoyed it. Glad to see it made. Though the original version had three antagonists instead of two ala Straw Dogs. So I was surprised to see some beats changed from script to film. Overall the heart of the story between father and daughter is all there.

It's crazy how the final product ends up. Looks like the director gave it more of a Natural Born Killers vibe (which I can do without) rather than what I remember reading, which had more of a Desperate Hours feel (the one with Bogart not Rourke ha).

Anyway, for being a lower budget film it's not bad, we've all seen a lot worse. People are knocking Emil but I like the job he does along with Thomas Jane. Hirsch really puts it all into the role. The film has a few by the book beats but to be fair every film has "tropes". The one location thriller has become a popular genre, one pops up every few months. Still strong concept and loved the father and daughter relationship which was played by Jane's real daughter. She does a good job, guess it runs in the family.

The directing was generic for these types of thrillers but at same time not reinventing the wheel here either. Cinematography was good for the budget. Overall it's not bad, decent if you want to check it out. I dug it at the end of the day.

Can you dig it?

[kosmasp · 5/10 · 26 May 2023]

No pun intended - a movie that you might like, but that will depend on how forgiving you can be. Suspension of disbelief is not enough to say the least. Cliches and predictable plot add more weights to the whole thing (not in a good way as you can imagine).

I like Thomas Jane, though I feel like he may be a bit ... disappointed the way his career went. I believe he thinks he was made for better and higher things. I don't totally disagree ... but life ain't fair, so there is that ... Emile Hirsch could write a song about that ... or two. And those two kind of make the movie - if you like them. I do ... and they do try their best ... is that enough? Can you dig it, as I already asked?

Unknown and underrated crime gem!

[imseeg · 8/10 · 3 October 2022]

The good: this story is quite simple, but the excecution is really terrific, with lots of good dialogues, a vicious bad guy, great plot turns and a wicked final.

I dont understand the low rating, probably caused by the fact that this movie falls in between genres, which most people probably cant appreciate much. I can though!.

"DIG" is probably better suited for an arthouse movie audience, but I guess that the trailer attracted a popcorn loving action audience instead...which explains the many disappointing reviews.

This is more of a DRAMA than an action movie, although there are a few hardhitting violent scenes to be seen, but most of this story is about sadistic psychological MINDGAMES and what fighting for survival does to a RELATIONSHIP between a father and a handicapped daughter.

I constantly sat on the edge of my chair towards the end of this bleak and suspenseful drama.

Solid story. Solid acting. Solid suspense. Simply a really solid, hardhitting, bleak dramatic movie. Bravo!

The story: Emile Hirsch and his girlfriend (2 vicious criminals) kidnap a father and his daughter, who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Emile Hirsch forces them to start digging for him. But what is the secret that is burried deep beneath the ground?

I liked the concept, but not the execution.

[Top_Dawg_Critic · 6/10 · 28 September 2022]

For a B grade low budget film, it's not bad, I've seen a lot worse. The directing and cinematography was decent, and surprisingly for a B film, the score and soundtrack worked well, especially the finger-snapping music. Casting and performances were convincing, especially the Jane father-daughter duo as father and daughter, but I feel Liana Liberato needed better cast direction. The story was a good concept for the genre, but the screenplay by the newb writers, the Ablakhads, in their first ever writing credit, certainly needed some fine tuning. Even in the normally comfortable 90 min runtime and decent pacing, the film felt much longer from the lack of any real narrative. The entire first act wasn't fitting (or really needed) with the rest of the story, and there were many repetitive plot and technical issues. The dialogue was very cheesy and not enough was happening to hold the viewers attention. This film would've worked better as a short film, and/or most of the dialogue reworked with more actual drama instead of fluff, as well as more narrative in the story itself. More action and less words would've worked great on this film. But as their first writing credit, the Ablakhads did good, rookie mistakes and all. It's a generous 6/10 from me for this one-time watchable "if there's nothing else to watch" film.

Pretty Much By The Book

[stevendbeard · 6/10 · 26 September 2022]

I saw Dig, starring Thomas Jane-The Expanse_tv, Hung_tv; Liana Liberato-A Million Little Things_tv, Sons of Anarchy_tv; Harlow Jane-I Love Us, Texas Rising_tv and Emile Hirsch-The Comeback Trail, Lone Survivor.

Thomas plays a man with a temper. He and his wife have to drag his teenaged daughter out of a drinking party and on the way home, he gets into a situation involving road rage where his wife is killed and his daughter looses her hearing. Harlow plays his daughter. Both feel responsible for the death; if Thomas had controlled his temper or if Harlow hadn't caused her parents to come looking for her in the first place, her mother-his wife-might still be alive. Emile shows up and hires Thomas to do a job. Liana is Emile's girlfriend. Emile wants Thomas to dig up a patio on a house that is scheduled to be demolished-he tells Thomas that he is doing it for a friend that is going through a divorce and needs something. Of course, there is a different reason that puts Thomas and Harlow in danger.

It's rated R for language, violence, drug use and sexual content-no nudity-and has a running time of 1 hour & 30 minutes.

It's not a bad movie but it is pretty much by the book, so nothing surprising. It's not one that I would buy on DVD. It would be alright as a rental, though.

Stars have to align

[christinafilmlover · 6/10 · 14 November 2023]

Just watched, fun thriller while at home but I read the reviews and it sounds like the script was different and then the director did his thing. It's better than Slayers, I'll give him that but it feels like his films have the same look. Liked the concept, the antagonist, Liberato, did great. Wouldn't be surprised this film got her the killer role in the new scream. I always like going to imsdb to read how the script differed from the movie but script is not there. If anyone has it, lmk. My teacher says, "when making movies, need the stars to align, mainly director, film is their medium." A 6.