HAYDEN - A local movie house is being cheered and booed for screening a film that has caused a fierce stir locally and nationally.

Directed by Dinesh D’Souza, Bruce Schooley and Debbie D'Souza, "2000 Mules" is a documentary about voter fraud in America in the 2020 election.

"2000 Mules" began screening Monday at Hayden Cinema. Moviegoers may now see the film for regular ticket prices instead of the original price of $20 per ticket, Hayden Cinema said on its Facebook page.

The film has elicited responses from people across the political spectrum, garnering hundreds of comments on local social media. Comments range from appreciation for the theater showing the movie and support for the First Amendment, to commenters turning on each other and engaging in heated, politically charged exchanges.

Some maintained the stance of, "If you don't like a movie, don't go see it."

Hayden Cinema owner Mike Lehosit addressed the controversy in a social media post on the cinema's Facebook page, explaining that it is a locally owned theater that plays all types of movies.

"In recent days we have received heartfelt messages of disagreement, messages of hatred and threats of boycotts toward the movie '2000 Mules' and toward the theater," said the post made Tuesday.

It said this isn't the first time it's happened.

"Several years back when we played 'The Da Vinci Code' in Boise, we had people protesting the content," the post said. "People sent me letters boycotting us because we played Disney’s 'Beauty and the Beast' with the first Disney 'gay scene.' Just a few weeks back people boycotted 'Fantastic Beasts Secret of Dumbledore.' A few years ago we played 'On the Basis of Sex,' a biographical movie about Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg for three weeks. The list could go on and on about movies that have a social or political message to the right or the left."

Lehosit said Wednesday he doesn't want to be political.

"People who want to come watch it, come watch it, and then they could do research on their own," he told The Press. "I haven't even watched it."

"2000 Mules" was also screened at Candlelight Christian Fellowship last week and again Monday. Pastor Paul Van Noy, who provided the invocation for the showings, said Candlelight itself did not screen the film, but an outside organization rented the church.

"They asked if they could show it here. Of course, we said yes," Van Noy said Wednesday. "We're very fond of Dinesh D’Souza. I endorsed the movie, but it was not Candlelight showing the movie."