Filmmaker Uwe Boll, long derided for B-movies such as Alone in the Dark and BloodRayne, hosted a Reddit "Ask Me Anything" session on Friday to promote his new film Citizen Vigilante, starring Armie Hammer, but the exchange quickly turned combative. The episode matters because it highlights how the film has become a lightning rod for political controversy, having been banned in Germany over fears it could incite violence against immigrants, and briefly streamed for free on X by Elon Musk.

Citizen Vigilante follows Hammer's character as he sets out to punish criminals, most of whom are portrayed as migrants, and it has been embraced by conservatives while critics have panned it — a six per cent rating on Rotten Tomatoes against a 93 per cent audience score. Boll responded curtly to hostile questions, agreeing he was "pleasing right wingers", citing "money" as the reason he keeps working, and urging critics to "open your eyes" and judge his films on their merits. The role marks one of Hammer's first features since he was dropped by WME in 2021 following sexual misconduct allegations; the actor said he "just wanted to work again".