I need to vent.

Citizen Vigilante just might be one of the dumbest movies I've ever seen.

Okay..pause a second.

If you've seen it, keep reading. If you haven't, the basic premise is about an everyday man who goes undercover and brings bad guys to justice because the government won't.

Good concept in theory. But in practice...I cringe as flashbacks return while writing this.

The dumbest movie I think I've ever seen

For context, I had initially heard great things. People were raving about it. Posts on X had nothing but praise.

Again, good in theory.

But alas. The horror that would unfold before my very eyes!

I weep knowing what I must write.

I think my finger is twitching.

So what made this movie so horrible?

1. Terrible pacing
2. Where the heck is the plot
3. FULL NUDITY SEX SCENE (HELLO??)

Read that last line again. This really just drives me up the wall.

Nowhere in the advertising did I see this. No warning. Just BAM. In my face. I have no words.

Bad pacing and amateur plot development, I can forgive. It certainly won't be memorable, but hey, every good writer started with bad writing.

But this?

I made two posts last month about nudity in films and why I think it sucks. For the next 2 weeks, people spontaneously combusted in the comments.

"Ok big boy (their words), show us all these films with sex in them."

"Ok big boy (for a second time), you're such a purist."

"Ok big boy (they really love this phrase), acshually, this study I totally did not make up says that nudity in films have gone down 12.345% since the first century!!!"

What.

This film just proves my point that modern films continue to be filled with sexual content. And comments like the above prove something huge: people have been desensitized.

(Yes, people actually commented that kind of stuff - it's on my IG page).

What would have been scandalous 20 years ago is considered nothing today.

What happened?

Well, the Hays Code un-happened—it was repealed.

The Hays Code was a list of moral guidelines for films outlined by the Christian Church (Catholicism specifically).

But the reason it was repealed is because people's hearts changed.

And over the last 50-60 years, it has gotten worse, not better.

So when you read comments like, "you're such a purist, there isn't that much sex in films," that is a lie.

The increase of sex in films has been exponential since the 30s. I can't even watch half the films recommended to me because I'll get flashed a third of the way in.

Give me a break.

I'm not the only one who thinks this. Many of my Patreon supporters and community members echo these sentiments.

People are tired of content that doesn't serve the plot.

Let's be honest: most sexual content in films these days does nothing to propel the story forward. But people will die on this hill because 1. they're desensitized, and 2. it's normalized.

God's approach to sexual themes

Let me make a caveat.

Some may read the past few sentences and think I'm not OK with sexual themes at all.

Well...it depends.

Scripture has sexual content in it. This is true.

We read accounts of terrible deeds, rape, incest, and more. But we also read of beauty, love, and God's purpose for sex.

One important note: God never goes into gratuitous detail.

But when he does draw our attention to sexual themes, it is not pornographic in nature. It is there to do two things:

1. Help us appreciate the beauty of marriage
2. Draw the parallel between marriage and Jesus' relationship with the Church

Isn't that awesome?

God created this to be beautiful in the right context, but the world has perverted it.

Personally, I tend to err on the side of caution when writing anything sexual in my stories. But with such a topic, I would encourage you to think through it critically and pay attention to your conscience—God gave it to each of us for a reason.

Those with a seared conscience will see no issue with pornographic content on the silver screen.

But we were made to protect what is sacred, and the marriage bed certainly is that. So in art, it's important to try our best to see where the line is. In our culture, this isn't easy, but it is necessary.

If you want the best example, see how God approaches this topic in Scripture. It has been illuminating for me.

If you got anything out of this, shoot me a reply! I'll read it.

P.S. I have a secret podcast called The Editing Room on Patreon. You'll hear my in-depth thoughts on your favorite films, why they work, and how you can apply it to your art. Join here → https://www.patreon.com/cw/RyderHarnett​

Yours,

Ryder Harnett