Stephen L. Miller blames the “Streisand Effect” for Prime Video’s number one movie purchase.
And it makes perfect sense.
Miller, who goes by @redsteeze on X, cited the phrase to describe the stunning success of “Citizen Vigilante” on Amazon’s streaming platform.
Director Use Boll’s film follows a fed-up American (Armie Hammer) who takes it upon himself to eliminate violent migrant offenders across Europe. The few critics who dared to watch “Citizen Vigilante” excoriated both the film and its writer/director.
Even a prominent right-leaning critic skewered it.
Citizen Vigilante is the worst movie of 2026. The bad filmmaking is the least of its sins. It uses real anxieties about migration policies to make you cheer for the murder of cops and innocent civilians. There’s a good exploitation flick to be made on that topic. This ain’t it. pic.twitter.com/sMvZJnRhfb
— Giancarlo Sopo (@GiancarloSopo) June 27, 2026
Most critics either refused to review “Citizen Vigilante” or ignored it. That’s one way critics act to ensure as few people see a movie as possible. It’s not the first time they may have collectively made that attempt.
‘At least they didn’t block it from potential audiences.
German film officials did just that.
The country’s film body refused to rate the film, essentially banning it from that nation’s theaters. These efforts aren’t stopping people from watching it from the comfort (and safety) of their homes.
Maybe that’s partly the point.
The film is currently the number one film purchase on Prime Video. Over at iTunes, the movie sits at the number 2 spot, behind “Project Hail Mary.”
It’s a stunning achievement on several levels.
The film tackles an incendiary topic – migrant violence across Europe – that most Legacy Media outlets either downplay or explain away. No Hollywood-based director would dare address the issue.
Plus, Boll is renowned for generating terrible reviews, dating back to earlier films like “Alone in the Dark” and “House of the Dead.”
Hammer was essentially cancelled by Hollywood following unsettling allegations about his personal life. “Citizen Vigilante” is his first leading role since that imbroglio.
The film’s budget was likely microscopic, and it doesn’t hail from a major movie studio. The indie shingle Quiver Distribution is behind its U.S. release.
Attempts to savage the film, or simply prevent it from being shown, made more people eager to see it.
Enter Miller.
Streisand Effect undefeated pic.twitter.com/nv8MAKWtEW
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) June 28, 2026
“The Streisand Effect” refers to efforts by superstar Barbra Streisand in 2003 to suppress an aerial image of her home. Her efforts sparked an outsized interest in the snapshot that wouldn’t exist otherwise.
In short, her efforts backfired. Bigly.
We’re seeing that play out now with “Citizen Vigilante.” That also may explain why the film has a 94 percent “fresh” rating from general audiences at Rotten Tomatoes.
They may be responding to the film’s purpose – to expose the alarming crimes committed by European migrants and the UK’s grooming gangs scandal.
Have you seen “Citizen Vigilante?” Your take?
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