There are bad movies, and then there is Citizen Vigilante.

Directed by Uwe Boll and starring Armie Hammer, this is one of the weakest films I’ve ever watched, judging by its plot twist, pacing, and direction. Yet somehow, it still achieves exactly what it sets out to do, and that’s what makes it fascinating.

Citizen Vigilante (2026) follows Sanders, a wealthy American businessman living in Europe who has become a feared vigilante. Sanders’s targets are rapists, murderers, and other violent criminals, nearly all of whom are immigrants, as well as judges he believes let them walk free. The film leaves no doubt that its central message is built around illegal immigration and the failures of the justice system.

While most agenda-driven films embed their message through drama or symbolism that unfolds gradually, Citizen Vigilante throws its message at you within the first five minutes through an extremely graphic sequence, then reinforces it through repeated dialogue cues and direct visuals throughout the film.

The result feels less like a film directed by a filmmaker and more like a movie made by a series of posts on Elon Musk’s X profile stitched into a feature-length film.

The fascinating part? The constant pushing of the ideology Citizen Vigilante commits to from start to finish is what makes it work for those it was made for. Not because it’s a well-written or directed film, but because the message never lets its audience switch off.

By the single measure of keeping its intended audience watching until the credits roll, Citizen Vigilante is an undeniable success even as most of its filmmaking falls apart.

The pacing is painfully slow, with scenes dragging on far longer than necessary, not to mention the repeated cuts, all of which make Citizen Vigilante feel longer than it should be. With a runtime of 89 minutes, the film could have worked fine below 60 minutes.

Then there are scenes that simply don’t make sense or shouldn’t exist, such as the lengthy sex scene that adds almost nothing beyond revealing that Sanders owns the building where the sex workers operate.

The television news segments, which would otherwise work as a positive, strangely feel amateurish, with the news anchor never sounding convincing enough to sell the seriousness of what’s happening. Maybe that was intended.

Still, Citizen Vigilante isn’t without positives. Armie Hammer is easily the strongest part of the film and fits the role naturally. The ordinary streets, passing traffic, and background activity give several scenes a documentary-like feel, making parts of the film seem more believable.

The placement of terms like “take control,” “rule of law,” “justice,” “immigrants,” “Islamist extremists,” and “woke left” in the dialogue is great. There is this line stating;

“If these are your values, that women in America and Europe deserve to be raped because of a dress code, why did you come here?”

And just before the credits roll, the film cuts to a black screen with bold, all-caps text: “This film is dedicated to the thousands of rape and murder victims in Europe who were betrayed by our legal system,” leaving no ambiguity about the message it wants to leave behind.

Is Citizen Vigilante Worth It?
Citizen Vigilante is a poorly made film that only connects with viewers who already align with its message, making it engaging from start to finish. If you support strict deportation policies and accept its framing of immigration, it will likely resonate with you; if you don’t, it loses its grip early.

Oh, you can watch Citizen Vigilante on X, check Elon Musk’s X profile.