Armie Hammer Was Reportedly in Tears After Watching CITIZEN VIGILANTE, Called It "Hateful, Disgusting"

Armie Hammer's attempted return to acting hasn't exactly gone the way he probably hoped. Between the controversy surrounding Citizen Vigilante and the intense backlash aimed at the film's political messaging, the movie has become a lightning rod for criticism.

Now, a new report claims Hammer himself was deeply disturbed after finally watching the finished version of the movie.

Directed by Uwe Boll, Citizen Vigilante follows an American businessman who launches a Death Wish-style campaign of violent revenge, primarily targeting immigrants.

The film has been embraced by some right-wing voices online, including Elon Musk, but critics have overwhelmingly rejected it, leaving it with a 6% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes. Interestingly, audiences have been far more receptive, giving it a 93% Audience Score.

The movie's anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim themes have sparked widespread condemnation, and much of that controversy has overshadowed Hammer's comeback while adding another difficult chapter to his already damaged public image.

According to a new report from Puck, Hammer wasn't thrilled with what ultimately ended up on screen either. A source claimed: "The first time he saw it, he was in tears. And not tears of joy. He called me and said, 'F***. This is hateful, disgusting."

The insider went on to explain that Hammer apparently understood the movie leaned politically to the right, but says he wasn't expecting the final cut to push its messaging as far as it ultimately did.

They said: "Uwe works in a very frantic way. It’s not like he sent him a hundred-page script. When he saw the final product, he was, 'That was not the movie I thought we made,' and he freaked the f*** out."

Whether that's genuine regret or simply an attempt at distancing himself from the finished film is something people will undoubtedly debate. Still, Hammer has previously explained that Boll only gave him a condensed 50-page script before production began.

He also admitted that at that point in his life, he wasn't exactly in a position to be picky about roles, saying: "I would have done a f***ing cat food commercial."

Hammer's career famously collapsed after multiple women accused him of emotional and physical abuse while leaked messages involving cannibalistic fantasies dominated headlines. Before returning to acting, he reportedly spent time selling timeshares in the Cayman Islands and also worked as a sober companion.

According to reports, he earned around $250,000 for starring in Citizen Vigilante. Ironically, Hammer sounded incredibly enthusiastic about the project while promoting it before its release.

He previously recalled: "I got an email from Uwe and he said, 'Hey, I have this movie; I want you to do it.' And I just started crying because I was so happy that someone was giving me the chance to do the thing in my life that I'm the most passionate about outside of my kids."

He continued: "And I read the script. I didn't even have to. I had already typed, 'Yes, I'll do it.' But then I read the script, and I was like, 'Whoa, this is intense.'"

The film centers on a man who decides the justice system has failed and begins hunting criminals himself. His violent actions transform him into a social media celebrity while drawing the attention of law enforcement and increasingly dangerous enemies.

Despite the controversy, Boll isn't backing away from the project. In fact, he's already moving ahead with a sequel. Whether Hammer would return remains an open question.

One source told Puck: "It would have to be life-changing money [for a sequel]. Everyone has a breaking point."

Following the report, TheWrap reached out to Boll, who pushed back against the claims surrounding Hammer's alleged reaction to the movie.

The filmmaker responded: "Armie was perfect for the part and I loved working with him. He was prepared and delivered every day on set. We both had a great time working together even if the subject matter of the film is very serious and real."

Boll also defended both the film and its audience reception, saying: "It was clear that the film will split the audience but I never cared about reviewers – I care about the audience. 94% on Rotten Tomatoes or 4.5 on Amazon shows that the audience loves the film.

“50% of the audience doesn’t feel connected anymore with the crap the studios are spitting out – they needed and wanted a blunt and hard film about reality."

Whether Hammer truly felt blindsided by the finished movie or is simply trying to create some distance from its most controversial elements, Citizen Vigilante has certainly become one of the year's most divisive films.