Dig (2022), set in Las Cruces in New Mexico, is a fairly simple movie, but to say that it lived up to its title is a bit much. As a titular activity, the public can begin to see this film with the expectation of a considerable part of the 87 minutes dedicated to it. However, that is not the case. If one tends to dig deep, Dig can team up with the leads who are looking to dig deep and find that inner strength, to rediscover that mutual understanding that was gone. Is that what we're supposed to do with every movie? Because, to be honest, Dig (2022) is a soft offering that could have been over in about 45 minutes, even if there were clues as to why it didn't. The biggest one comes in the opening credits: it doubles as a launch vehicle.
Starring Thomas Jane, Harlow Jane, Emile Hirsch and Liana Liberato in pivotal roles, Dig centers on a father-daughter duo of Brenan and Jane (Thomas and Harlow Jane). They have a communication gap, thanks to some unfortunate events. Their plan to fix things goes awry when Brenan gets a job. However, once there, they stumble upon a hiding place and realize that they are deep. Any attempt to ignore him is discarded when the protagonists learn that VÃctor and Lola have set a trap for them.
Director: K. Asher Levin
Writers: Banipal Ablakhad, Benhur Ablakhad
Stars: Thomas Jane, Emile Hirsch, Liana Liberato
Dig is pretty decent for its runtime, showing the audience why certain things have happened. K. Asher Levin's film also looks at why certain things didn't happen to bring this situation to an end quickly. There is a situation in a gas station that is not there for its own sake. A scene with a tramp is also pivotal, but the audience may wonder what prevented the character from making good use of his gift. It's pretty cool to see there's no redemptive arc for the villains. For them, this is a classic distinction between good and evil. This one features the classic evil baddies, who get much more despicable with each passing second.
After seeing these moments while watching the climax, one could find fault with the writers for not making Victor and Lola much more of a physical threat. They seemed defiant (a facade), but the confrontation was a disappointment. One might even believe that with the tools Brenan and Jane had at their disposal, they could have launched a sneak attack on their captors. I understood this creative choice because it ensured that the good guys stayed good until the end, when desperate times called for desperate and decisive measures. It might even help the audience understand Brenan's choice early on, as he is an indestructible human being.
While some of the writing may have provided reasonable doubt to any question, other things remained extremely questionable. Why was the trio needed in the house if the villains wanted to get rid of them immediately? What was the point of the outside examiner combing the house to mark lines? Actually, it's not bad, but that attempt to create tension was gone. Also, why didn't Brenan and Jane run away properly? It was just stupid.
Another problem I have with Dig (2022) is that its background music is too loud, even drowning out the relatively peaceful dialogue between the Catholic family. He agreed that some of this may not have impeded the audience's understanding of the story, but it wasn't very enjoyable. This improves as the film progresses, and it all falls into place once the villains discuss the need to eliminate the father-daughter duo. There is whispered dialogue and a slight tempo increase on the beats gives that tense feel to the situation. It represented the strained heartbeats of the characters as they tried to convince their captors to let them continue to breathe and await their fate. They didn't need the BGM, as Liberato and Hirsch's characters were quite loud and annoying.