White Supremacists Love Armie Hammer’s New Movie
.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
The film 'Citizen Vigilante,' directed by Uwe Boll, has drawn criticism for its violent anti-immigrant themes and has been embraced by white supremacist groups. Critics have panned the movie as xenophobic propaganda that promotes dangerous real-world ideologies.
Why it matters
The film highlights the intersection of media, extremist radicalization, and the potential for fictional content to be weaponized by hate groups.
In Citizen Vigilante, Armie Hammer plays Sanders, a former US soldier who has inherited his father’s real estate empire in an unnamed European country. Angered by what he sees as a Muslim takeover of the continent, Sanders embarks on an extrajudicial killing spree of migrants, youths, and judges he views as complicit.
In the film, Hammer’s character is emboldened by watching videoclips from an Instagram-like social media platform showing people around the world praising his violent campaign against immigrants.
“Have you heard of this vigilante crime fighter guy over in Europe? He’s like the real deal. This man is taking out the trash,” one woman says in a clip from the movie, adding, “I think we need somebody over here in the States like that.”
Unsurprisingly, far-right extremists in the real world love it too.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in