Primetime
Primetime
Starring Robert Pattinson, Merritt Wever, Skyler Gisondo, Matthew Maher
Directed by Lance Oppenheim
NBC journalist Chris Hansen (Robert Pattinson) is relishing his new role: the host of "To Catch a Predator," a massive hit where he corners could be and possibly multiple child predators by luring them to a suburban home after they chat with who they think is a teenager online, but is in reality Xavier Von Erck (Matthew Maher), the founder of Perverted-Justice. He's joined by his producer Andie Bender (Merritt Wever) who will stop at nothing to make the show a hit, and when they achieve the coveted primetime spot, they're both over the moon. They hire local actor Dan Plum (Skyler Gisondo), who doesn't know what he's auditioning for, and the show becomes a global sensation. Yet Chris desires more - to find the coveted Whale - and when he does, no lines won't be crossed to get the ultimate ratings high, no matter the human cost.
While movies like this could be seen as a droll, boring, Wikipedia-infused whitewash of the film's main protagonist, "Primetime" sheds any of that in favor of a highly fictionalized (hopefully) version of Chris Hansen and his descent into madness. Much like Captain Ahab in Moby Dick, Hansen is seeking out his own elusive Whale, and both men are driven to insanity to do so. There's not a lot of humanity left in Hansen's eyes, except when he's gleefully approaching the predators with transcripts of their own words in his hands. He doesn't seem to care about his wife or children, or anyone else in his orbit - he wants fame, he wants success, and he wants the number one rated show in the world.
There is a lot to unpack with this movie, and honestly it's one that's stuck with me since watching it. The performances, the style, and the subject matter shouldn't really work in tandem, but somehow it does in ways that come across more as a terrifying thriller rather than real life events. The filming style lends itself more to a psychotic drug trip akin to "Requiem for a Dream" rather than a "Michael"esque biopic, with vivid colors, a crazed scene involving a colonoscopy lens view traversing an computer optic wire, and a dazzling yet unsettling cinematic landscape. Although filmed on high-definition digital cameras, this feels more like something you're seeing from an early 2000s VHS cassette that's been sitting in a dusty basement for decades, whose colors have bled and smeared like images on a heat damaged cassette. It gives the overall icky feeling in your stomach, like you're seeing a movie that's poisoned by its own film.
The subject matter is something many people know who've seen the show in its heyday, and who know why it was canceled. There's no room for ambiguity here, as the film dives head-first into the depravity of the men caught in the web, and, more notably, the depravity of Hansen himself. There's no real heroes here, only monsters, and those who think they're catching the monsters when they in reality are monsters as well. Devoid of human emotions other than desire, lacking empathy, understanding, or warmth, "Primetime" doesn't give you a moment to relax, but keeps you gripping your seat as your butt sits on the edge.
Finally there's the performances, which goes all in on the outlandish premise. Robert Pattison is one of cinema's most underrated actors, a man still caught in the "Twilight" era that made him almost an undesirable actor afterward, but has proven himself time and again that he not only deserves these roles, but relishes in them, and needs an Oscar as soon as possible (heck, even Kristen Stewart is an Oscar nominee). "Good Time," "High Life," "The Lighthouse," "The Batman," and the one-two punch of 2026's "The Drama" and "The Odyssey" all prove why he deserves all the recognition and more). "Primetime" is his most daring work yet, taking on the essence of a real life man and making him an unhinged, soulless, almost robotic character. He nailed the voice cadence perfectly, and even his body mannerisms equal that of Hansen himself, something Pattinson took seriously before filming as he spent countless hours watching Hansen and struggling to find his voice and studied his appearances, recounting how he would "wander around the streets saying what he's talking about." He's unnerving and hypnotic all at the same time, and you see how he's haunted by his own desire that, by the third act, spirals into a neo-gothic nightmare akin to a "Twilight Zone" episode. While the pessimist in me won't see him getting any nominations, the optimist sees him winning every award this season for this top-tier performance.
Not to be outdone, Merritt Wever equally shines as his equally (if not greater) soulless producer Andie Bender. It's no surprise producers really have no soul, and all they seek is ratings gold, and Bender is no different. She shows total indifference to humanity, and even when their new decoy arrives late, she shoves him into the lion's den with nothing more than a swimming noodle and expects him to take the lion down. These two characters are so vile yet so disarming it's staggering, and lends to Wever's constant acting acumen that allows her to dig into this character.
Yet the standout performance is Skyler Gisondo, who plays the young actor Dan Plum (a fictionalized version of Dan Schrack, who was the decoy who was there when the entire thing collapsed). He's a fresh, starry eyed actor who just wants his SAG card, and auditions for the role of the decoy without knowing what he's getting into. He is filled with excitement and joy, but when he arrives late he's literally thrust, as previously mentioned, into the lion's den with no aid, and his first outing is met with a disgusting outcome. You see the light literally die in his eyes as he pursues his own proverbial Whale and abandons all sense of human decency to achieve it. Much like Hansen, Plum foregoes his values in favor of fame and popularity, and Gisondo gives an equally deserving awards-worthy performance.
When you get all these unique aspects together, you get a movie like "Primetime," a movie that burrows itself into your very soul and keeps you locked in so much so that after it ends, it refuses to leave.
The Score: A+
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