Controversial Armie Hammer film offered for free online after German ban

A new film starring Armie Hammer, Citizen Vigilante, has been made available for free viewing on social media for a limited 48-hour period, sparking renewed debate over its controversial themes. The German filmmaker Uwe Boll’s latest offering sees Hammer portray a businessman who transforms into a vigilante, taking justice into his own hands by targeting violent criminals, rapists, and corrupt judges.

Released earlier this month, the action-thriller has drawn significant criticism for its extreme violence and alleged anti-immigration message. Germany notably refused to grant the film a rating, effectively preventing its general release within the country. The official X account for Citizen Vigilante shared the full 90-minute feature on Thursday, promoting it as "the movie Hollywood doesn’t want you to see". It was accessible until 3pm BST on Saturday, June 27.

Director, writer, and producer Boll explained in a series of posts that his film was uploaded "exclusively" on X for the "whole world to see". The 61-year-old filmmaker further addressed the controversy in a video on his personal X account, stating that Citizen Vigilante "represents 50 per cent of the population" who believe "we cannot continue with these unbelievable, wrong migration policies in Europe and America".

In an interview with The Telegraph last week, Boll discussed the film’s ban in his home country, asserting it was "on purpose" and a "deliberate censorship decision". He recounted: "I hired a lawyer to complain about it, but we lost in a six-two vote, as I was told that the film was inciting violence against migrants."

Boll also revealed to the publication that he cast Hammer in the lead role "because he was cancelled and wanted to work". The 39-year-old US actor’s career faced significant disruption in 2021 following a series of sexual abuse and misconduct accusations, which he vehemently denied. In 2023, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office opted not to press charges against Hammer in connection with these allegations.

Hammer had previously expressed a desire to return to acting, telling The Hollywood Reporter earlier this month that he had received no job offers for five years.

He is widely recognised for his role alongside Timothée Chalamet in Call Me by Your Name, as well as appearances in Sir Kenneth Branagh’s Death On The Nile (2022), The Social Network, The Man From Uncle (2015), and Lone Ranger. Since filming Citizen Vigilante, Hammer has also completed three other low-budget productions: the Western Frontier Crucible, the thriller Night Driver, and an as-yet-unannounced film shot in Bulgaria.