Director Uwe Boll, notorious for his string of critically panned films, has released another controversial title, "Citizen Vigilante." The movie, an action film with an anti-immigration theme, has been widely criticized for its racism, misogyny, incoherence, and general poor quality.
Despite a premise that suggests a revenge narrative against "undocumented immigrants" for the murder of wives and mothers, "Citizen Vigilante" struggles to establish a coherent plot. Instead, the film presents a series of loosely connected scenes, each reportedly demonstrating remarkable ineptitude. Early sequences include a brutal murder that is immediately forgotten and a lengthy segment on a bus where the protagonist, portrayed by Armie Hammer, lectures rowdy teenagers about the economic consequences of not paying bus fares.
The film reportedly spends considerable time on mundane or bizarre tangents before depicting any significant violence. One scene involves the protagonist visiting a brothel, where he ultimately gives the sex worker a lecture on preventing mold by opening a window. The first instance of overt violence occurs approximately 45 minutes into the movie, involving the seemingly indiscriminate slaughter of police officers.
Further complicating the narrative is the character's portrayal as a slumlord who demands tenants be evicted for late payments, a stark contrast to the vigilante persona the film attempts to establish. The film also includes scenes where the protagonist drugs and kidnaps a judge, then causes a car accident to make a point about the law.
The movie's most disturbing turn reportedly comes around the 76-minute mark when the protagonist confronts a Muslim family. After detailing the son's conviction for rape and expressing anger over his rehabilitation rather than imprisonment, the protagonist proceeds to shoot and kill the entire family. The stated justification for this act is their "archaic value system and commitment to religion."
Despite the film's purported theme of immigrant murder, the narrative focuses more on the protagonist's lectures and his animosity towards his tenants. The violence depicted is minimal, with only two significant violent scenes identified. The film's editing is described as exceptionally poor, with scenes reportedly repeated, jarring transitions between musical scores, and a lack of clarity regarding character motivations and plot connections. Armie Hammer's performance has also been criticized as unconvincing.
"Citizen Vigilante" concludes with a message that appears to encourage the audience to continue the protagonist's actions. The film's overt racism and Islamophobia, coupled with its incoherence and dullness, led the German ratings board to refuse it a certificate. The movie has been met with widespread condemnation for its hateful themes and abysmal execution.