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CultureUwe Boll Says Germany “Banned” ‘Citizen Vigilante’ Over Its Depiction of Migration Crime - Armie Hammer plays based racist vigilante
So, let me get this straight: Uwe Boll’s “Citizen Vigilante,” starring Armie Hammer, in his “comeback vehicle,” explicity tackles illegal immigrant violence in Europe? Is that what it’s really about? I thought it might take a more subtle approach to the topic, but no—apparently, the film is extremely militant in its handling of the subject.
Turns out, Germany freaked out and has now effectively “banned” the film from being shown in the country, blocking it from normal distribution over there. Will other countries follow suit? Boll is furious, saying his film is less violent than “John Wick” and “The Equalizer,” and those films never got banned.
A Hollywood Elsewhere write-up by Jeffrey Wells—the first review I’ve read of the film—calls “Citizen Vigilante” a “furious anti-immigration” parable. Basically, it’s a riff on Michael Winner’s “Death Wish,” with Middle Eastern villains.
Hammer plays Sanders, a simple man turned vigilante overnight who has grown deeply frustrated with what he perceives as rising street crime involving immigrant groups. His violent response to the “thugs” leads to him becoming a social media folk hero.
With the film effectively banned in Germany after the country’s film ratings board, the FSK, refused to grant it either an “18+” classification or a “No Youth Clearance” designation, Boll claims the board is using youth protection as a pretext to suppress a film that addresses what he calls “the reality that mass migration from predominantly Islamist countries has severely compromised security in Europe.”
So, Boll isn’t even hiding it. He’s made an anti-immigration story about modern-day Europe. He tells Wells, “if I had made a film about five neo-Nazis raping a migrant girl it would [do quite well] in Germany. But now my movie is banned instead because I made a movie about the reality.”
When this project was first announced, Boll described “Citizen Vigilante”—formerly titled “Dark Knight”—as a return to his “Rampage”-era filmmaking, calling it a “very dark and violent movie” that tackles the current “landscape in Europe,” shaped by the “migrant situation,” including “rapes and knife attacks.” I thought Boll was being hyperbolic, but I should have taken him at his word. That is exactly what the film appears to be about.
Hammer, who recently opened up about the “brutal experience” he endured after sexual assault allegations surfaced against him in 2021, saying he had been “canceled” and left “broke,” is hoping “Citizen Vigilante” will serve as a successful comeback vehicle. It will certainly spark conversation—I’ll give him that. L / A June 15, 2026 by Jeffrey Wells
Mixed Respect for Uwe Boll But…
Uwe Boll, director of the soon-to-open Citizen Vigilante (Quiver, 6.19), got in touch last week and suggested we could possibly do a podcast about the film. I wanted to do it right away because CV reps the first starring role that Armie Hammer has snagged since he got rolled and raw-dealed by wokesters over sexual behavior. I really want to see Armie back on the stick. But of course I told Uwe I needed to see the film first.
I was sent a link several hours later. I’m sorry but I didn’t care for it. It certainly leaves a deep imprint but…
Driven by furious anti-immigration emotions, Citizen Vigilante is coolly, crudely impactful but — this is important — it lacks the personal engagement aspect of Michael Winner‘s Death Wish as well as (sorry) basic cinematic finesse.
Hammer plays Sanders, a grim-faced vigilante who’s sick to death of immigrant street thugs and what he sees as a general decline of social decency. His hardcore reactions to immigrant hooligans results in his becoming something of a heroic public figure.
There’s no question that Boll’s film is about “enough already!” sentiments as far as the scourge of allegedly coarse ruffian immigrants is concerned. This is obviously a real thing. Angry residents of Belfast will confirm this. I don’t have an argument with a vigilante film espousing angry feelings. I do, however, have a problem with a film that isn’t very well made.
HE to Boll, sent last week: Thanks for reaching out, Uwe, and offering to possibly record a Citizen Vigilante podcast together.
It is with a heavy heart and compassion for poor Armie Hammer that I must respectfully decline to join the promotional bandwagon for Citizen Vigilante. I’m very sorry but I can’t board this train.
I was earnestly hoping that the film would convey some of the fascinating dark-knight vibe of that brilliant one-sheet with the glowing crucifix. Alas…
I feel so badly for Armie as the film is so blunt and crude and more or less brimming with hate against “the immigrant other”, and lacking in setting up a believable context and a social realism backdrop…lacking even in terms of basic screenwriting craft and rudimentary filmmaking chops.
I was hoping for Armie’s sake that Citizen Vigilante would be at least semi-tolerable or decent enough. But it basically struck me as an anti-immigrant, anti-insect, kill-em-all riff on Michael Winner’s original Death Wish, and while it has a certain aggressive hardcore tabloid vibe, all I mainly felt was embarassment for poor Armie, whose career, I thought, was in recovery mode.
But Citizen Vigilante, no offense, does him no favors. The third-act scene in which Armie cold-bloodedly murders an entire family of Middle Easterners (and some of the teenage son’s bros) crosses the decency line. Armie plays it rigid and frosty as a social vengeance figure, but why was he told to perform a superfluous sex scene? My heart breaks for the poor guy.
Due respect but I can’t get involved. I’m very sorry. I know how tremendously difficult it is to shoot and edit even a problematic film. Best to you, Uwe, and let’s stay in touch. I hope things work out for Citizen Vigilante financially.
“Of the 11,329 suspects identified in such crimes, 6,892 were German citizens and just over a third, 4,437, were non-German suspects. The same with knife stabbings…same or similar numbers prevail all over France and in the UK.
“In a fiction film we can be more radical than in a documentary, and my film is the only one shot in Europe that is bringing up migrant crimes as a subject. If I had made a film about five neo-Nazis raping a migrant girl it would [do quite well] in Germany. But now my movie is banned instead because I made a movie about the reality.
“The woke left in Europe ignores the facts, which is that Islamic culture has no tolerance for gays, LGBTQ or other callings.
“In the very end we will have two choices: reduce Islamic migrants or not, and if not (because they’re birthing per average 4 kids) they will take over in around 30 years and then will start killing everybody who is not a convert to Islam.
“I will happily have a very frank discussion with you about these facts, but I’m also okay with not [doing this]. Of course I disagree also as the writer and director that the filmmaking is bad.
“But still all the best and let’s stay in contact. I suspect you’ll like my film Run with Amanda Plummer…it’s on Paramount+, Showtime etc.”
It’s made $68 million as of June (I can’t find the cost of production and advertizing but it doesn’t look like an expensive film to produce). It has a 96% rating with 500+ users on rotten tomatoes. I think it’s actually been a very successful film but no one is willing to admit it.
