Dig!
Palm Pictures | Release Date: October 1, 2004 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
76
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 28 Critic Reviews
Positive:
23
Mixed:
4
Negative:
1
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
San Francisco ChronicleJoel Selvin
Remarkable rockumentary. Read full review
100
Portland OregonianShawn Levy
It's a teeming, steaming, bubbling stew, a tremendous good time, a rich entertainment and a heck of a lesson in music, human etiquette and the politics of making it (or not) in show biz. Read full review
100
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
What makes the movie powerful is Timoner's decision to structure it via Taylor's perspective on his competitor, with no holds barred. Read full review
100
Boston GlobeTy Burr
The result is one of the most unforgiving ground-level documentaries about the music business ever made -- the six-string equivalent of "Hoop Dreams." Read full review
100
EmpireSteve O'Hagan
A vibrant and vivid documentary masterwork, DiG! will have you celebrating independent filmmaking while lamenting the state of independent music-making. Read full review
91
Entertainment WeeklyOwen Gleiberman
The fascination of Dig! is that it invites those of us who aren't alt-rock obsessives into the hive, yet it never feels like a dilettante's tour. Read full review
90
SlateJames Barber
The movie has become a kind of highway-safety film for the rock community. Read full review
89
Austin ChronicleMarrit Ingman
There's a genuine sense of loss when dreams go unrealized, and in these moments Dig! transcends the typical "rock movie" format and aspires to something greater: an examination of why we create and what we receive from art. Read full review
88
New York Daily NewsRobert Dominguez
A riveting rock documentary. Read full review
88
Chicago TribuneAllison Benedikt
Anton, because after watching your tantrums, abuse and addiction in DIG! I went straight to the record store to buy your music. And that's something. Read full review
88
Miami HeraldMarta Barber
DiG! is raw, just as the band members themselves. Read full review
80
VarietyDennis Harvey
The terrific DIG! offers a unique chance to watch two classic rock band scenarios unfold simultaneously. Read full review
80
L.A. WeeklyErnest Hardy
The no-frills documentary also makes it clear that Newcombe is the real deal -- both supremely gifted and organically nuts. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesCarina Chocano
Should be required viewing for youngsters thinking about a music career. It's a great reminder to be careful what you wish for. Read full review
80
Film ThreatTim Merrill
Fascinating, horrifying and hilarious. Read full review
80
NewsweekDavid Ansen
It's like a spectacular roadside accident: you can't turn away. Read full review
80
Chicago ReaderJ.R. Jones
The video is narrated by Taylor, who magnanimously presents Newcombe as a Byronic hero, but ultimately proves that the pursuit of success and the pursuit of cool can be equally pointless. Read full review
75
New York PostLou Lumenick
A hip eye-opener. Read full review
75
Seattle Post-IntelligencerBill White
Captures the infantile fantasies of rock 'n' roll's self-made messiahs with an honesty that is rare in today's MTV world of promotional entertainment. Read full review
75
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Liam Lacey
Timoner offers a resonant, often painfully funny, drama about two good friends who become enemies against the backdrop of the pop-music business. Read full review
70
The New York TimesDana Stevens
If universities ever start graduate programs in rock stardom, Dig! will surely be a cornerstone of the curriculum, for it works as both an instruction manual and a cautionary tale. Read full review
70
TV Guide MagazineKen Fox
It's a fascinating film that manages to touch on subjects as diverse as mental illness and what's wrong with the record industry, set to brilliant music by the one of the best bands you've probably never heard. Read full review
63
PremiereAaron Hillis
DiG! never delves deep enough to act as a true cautionary tale. It's an amusingly drunken PBS-worthy human-interest doc, unless you're too old or not cool enough to have played in the embarrassing hipster zoo, in which case DiG! may be the closest you'll ever get to the uncaged animals. Read full review
60
The Hollywood ReporterJames Greenberg
May not be for all tastes, but it's an up close and personal look at a true rock 'n' roll animal. Read full review
60
Village VoiceLaura Sinagra
These flashes push Dig! beyond recording-industry kvetch, causing it to stay with you longer than either band's ephemeral music. Read full review
50
The A.V. ClubNathan Rabin
By giving Taylor the last word, Dig! becomes little more than a self-serving, unconvincing infomercial for a musician who comes across as functional and bearable only when compared to his counterpart. Read full review
50
Dallas ObserverMelissa Levine
Whether or not you like this film may depend on how much interest (or patience) you have for the antics of a self-proclaimed prophet. Read full review
30
Washington PostRichard Harrington
Ultimately undermined by the fact that the two rock bands Timoner chose to focus on -- the Brian Jonestown Massacre and the Dandy Warhols -- simply don't matter as much as she thinks they do. Read full review
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