Armie Hammer's cinematic comeback has sparked a firestorm of controversy with the release of 'Citizen Vigilante', a low-budget film that's left critics scorching. The Oscar-winning actor, known for his nuanced portrayal in 'Call Me By Your Name', takes on a darker role as Sanders - an American ex-soldier turned vigilante in war-torn Croatia.
The narrative is a muddled mess of revenge tropes, trying to emulate the gritty classics like 'Death Wish' or 'Dirty Harry', but falling flat. Hammer's character embarks on a violent crusade against migrant-related crime, targeting law enforcement and judicial figures along the way - a plot twist that's been likened to a poorly written Reddit thread.
The film's return to screens is all the more notable given Hammer's tumultuous past. Since 2021, he's faced intense scrutiny over allegations of sexual assault, which he maintains were consensual. The lack of charges being pressed was due to insufficient evidence, but his reputation has taken a hit nonetheless. His appearance in 'Citizen Vigilante' marks a bold return, albeit one that's been panned by critics.
The film's online promotion - courtesy of Elon Musk no less - has added fuel to the fire. Critics argue it's a desperate attempt to shift attention away from domestic issues and onto a "fiercely imagined lawless migrant-caliphate" in Europe, a perspective the film eerily echoes. Sanders' online rants and social media fanboys are a jarring reminder of our modern obsession with viral vigilantism.
Comparisons between 'Citizen Vigilante' and its more acclaimed counterparts are stark. Where those films had passion, style, and wit, this one falls flat on its face - a poorly executed, low-budget knockoff that fails to address the very issues it pretends to tackle. The film's fixation on a "wokester-piñata of Europe" has been met with disdain, with some suggesting more pertinent topics could have been explored if the filmmakers were truly interested in addressing societal ills.