Hideo Kojima Defends Controversial Movie and Compares It to Metal Gear Solid 2

People keep talking about Digger, the Tom Cruise film directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu. Opinions on the project are split. Some viewers call it a bloated and self-aggrandizing mess while others consider it one of the most insightful films in recent years. Commercially, the release has become a major box office flop, which is unusual for Tom Cruise. Despite those financial struggles, legendary artists continue to defend the film.

That group now includes noted cinephile Hideo Kojima. He recently compared Digger to one of his own controversial works.

The creator of the Metal Gear and Death Stranding series posted his thoughts on X, offering high praise for Alejandro G. Iñárritu. Kojima wrote that Digger is a film everyone should see, calling it a work that stays with the audience, provokes reflection, and sounds alarms. Furthermore, Gizmodo Japan published an interview featuring Kojima and Alejandro G. Iñárritu in conversation.

During the discussion, the two creators found an unexpected thread connecting their art. Kojima stated that in 2001 he made Metal Gear Solid 2. He noted that social media did not exist back then, yet he built a story where social media possessed a life of its own. Kojima pointed out that this fiction has now become reality, which mirrors Digger. Specifically, both works share thematic elements about the proliferation of social media and how people in power use it to alter perceptions of reality. Alejandro G. Iñárritu added that humanity now lives under a new reality imposed by things people cannot actually experience, calling that feeling terrifying.

The Metal Gear Solid 2 and Digger connection goes even deeper

While not explicitly discussed in their interview, Digger and Metal Gear Solid 2 share similar methods for subverting audience expectations. Trailers for Digger presented the story as a comedy of errors about the end of the world in the style of Dr. Strangelove. While those elements exist, a big reveal early in the runtime shows that the narrative is actually a play being performed. By pulling the rug out from under viewers, Digger reframes itself. It functions as a commentary on environmentalism and the absurdity of ruling systems while also exploring the value of art in a hopeless world.

Metal Gear Solid 2 features a famous misdirection of its own. Players control Solid Snake during the opening mission before the game forces them to play as newcomer Raiden. From that point onward, the story deals with fabrications and lies, constantly twisting what the audience believes it knows. Both narrative tricks feel rooted in Brechtian theater. Ultimately, both pieces of art push against the social media bubble discussed by Kojima and Alejandro G. Iñárritu by demanding real discussion.

Source: Polygon