Primetime is perhaps this year’s most uncomfortable film, for many reasons. It offers a peek behind the scenes of the infamous mid-2000s reality series, To Catch a Predator, and its host, Chris Hansen. Provocative and unsettling, it raises the question of who has the moral high ground when going after the immoral.
Directed by Lance Oppenheim and written by Ajon Singh, it takes an intimate look at the show’s production, its effects on the people involved, and the disturbing yet tragic event that inevitably led to its undoing.
Airing on NBC between 2004 and 2007, the original show’s premise was that a team would pose as teenagers on the internet to lure sexual offenders to a house. Once they’d arrive, investigative reporter Chris Hansen would appear to confront them before their arrest.
Robert Pattinson portrays Hansen, nailing every mannerism and vocal cue; he’s simply captivating. And while there’s a lot to be said about the real person, the film does an interesting job of showing us the theatrics behind somebody like him. Someone fixated on a mission and notoriety.
At the end of the day, Hansen truly feels like he is doing, as it’s said in the film, “The Lord’s work”, to catch these individuals. The film reveals a kind of superhero/God complex, which, again, Pattinson nails effortlessly. Of course, it is dramatized, surely, but it does leave you questioning what this man’s motivations truly were. And was it all worth the cost of exploitation?
This is where the film is exploring the nuances of that because, while yes, he and his team are taking part in vigilantism to a point, putting these offenders away, it’s also being done for entertainment’s sake. And it has you rethinking the viewer’s part as well. As a society that craves this kind of entertainment, even to this day. And that a show like this, in its time, could rival a series like Lost in viewership.
One aspect of the film I wasn’t necessarily expecting was getting a better look into the mind of the decoy actors — adults posing as teens to get predators to a location. Skyler Gisondo plays a character named Dan, who really helps the audience see how traumatic this experience would have been for an inexperienced young actor. They are really coming face to face with disturbing individuals and put in such dangerous situations, again, for our entertainment.
I think there’s a lot in the film that leaves you marinating on the ethics of a show like this. And if you were somebody who watched it, it puts things into a very different perspective. It’s all deeply nuanced.
Unfortunately, the film does kind of lull at a certain point and starts to lose momentum, mostly towards the end of the second act. It does pick things back up for the climactic point, which is extremely heavy. But then it feels like it just ends. So much could have been explored in the aftermath, especially from Hansen’s perspective. So that left a little bit to be desired with the story.
But that aside, it’s a really well-made film, visually striking with a great score. And a supporting cast where everyone is giving their all, even in the smallest of roles. Most surprisingly, singer Phoebe Bridgers gives a solid performance as another decoy.
It may be a polarizing film. Audiences should be prepared to stew in the discomfort that comes with it, and be prepared for a very dark film. Though some moments have lines delivered in a humorous way, this remains very serious in tone. So it will be interesting to see what people think and feel coming out of this movie.
Primetime hits theaters September 25
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