Elon Musk has thrown his considerable weight behind embattled thriller 'Citizen Vigilante', starring Armie Hammer, making it available for free on X from Thursday to Sunday. This unprecedented move has sent viewing figures soaring and put the film firmly in the spotlight – despite its troubled past. But can a boost from the billionaire tech mogul be enough to salvage this volatile production?
Written and directed by Uwe Boll, 'Citizen Vigilante' has been at the centre of controversy since Germany's FSK ratings board refused to grant it a certificate. Boll claimed they cited concerns that the film was inciting violence against migrants – an accusation he vehemently denied as 'deliberate censorship'. He challenged the decision in court but was unsuccessful.
The film itself sees Hammer play an American businessman turned vigilante, taking on crime in an unspecified European nation with brutal force. Boll has said its inspiration came from a 2016 incident in Hamburg where three teenagers involved in a gang rape received lenient sentences. Critics have largely panned it, with Variety calling it 'a violent, incoherent, morally bankrupt slice of exploitation'.
Musk's backing of the film has dropped it right into the middle of the ongoing culture war, an arena where he often finds himself at odds with mainstream opinion. Boll revealed that Musk's team reached out to his podcast producers to request the film – a move that suggests the billionaire is personally invested in its success.
Armie Hammer's casting has added another layer of controversy to the film, as he attempts to rebuild his career after allegations of rape and abuse emerged in 2021. Although authorities declined to press charges, his involvement remains a talking point – and one that's unlikely to go away anytime soon.
Uwe Boll, a director infamous for his poor track record, has helmed over 30 feature films – including disastrous video game adaptations like 'Postal' and 'BloodRayne'. The film's original title was even changed after what he described as a 'friendly conversation' with Warner Bros., the studio behind Batman.