“John Doe: Vigilante” (in select theaters now) is an independent thriller designed to start conversations. The masked anti-hero of the title takes justice into his own hands and starts a domino effect. Australian director Kelly Dolen (Reign in Darkness, The Gates of Hell) sat down with Desde Hollywood to discuss the polemic themes and the visceral way the film tackles them.

“Some call him a hero. Some call him a villain. He’s “John Doe: Vigilante” – an ordinary man who decides to take the law into his own hands. Frustrated with a failing legal system that continues to allow violent criminals to go free, John Doe begins exacting justice the only way he knows how – by killing one criminal at a time. Soon he becomes a media sensation and inspires a group of copycat vigilantes, but who is the real John Doe – a pillar of justice or a cold-blooded murderer? You decide.”