REVIEW: "Primetime"
“Primetime,” the new film about the behind-the-scenes stories and controversy of NBC’s show “To Catch a Predator” and its host, seems set to join the growing list of indie successes of 2026.
The film was directed by Lance Oppenheim, making his debut narrative feature film. It stars Robert Pattinson as Chris Hansen, show host of “To Catch a Predator,” and Skyler Gisondo as Dan Plumb, a young actor hired by the show to serve as a decoy. Together with Merritt Wever as studio producer Andie Bender, they work to capture predators online and expose them on television.
Pattinson’s performance as Chris Hansen was the standout part of the film. Pattinson notably changed his voice for the film to imitate Chris Hansen, and it is a testament to his success that it never became too distracting. He did a fantastic job of portraying Hansen as an intense, manic and anxiety-driven man who is given the chance of a lifetime.
The cinematography, led by David Bolen, was another highlight of the film. The camera work and cinematic approach were executed in a creative way rarely seen in a theater experience. One of the most standout uses of cameras in the movie is when some scenes shift to the view of the show’s cameras, giving angles that evoke the style of a documentary.
There is also a clear effort throughout the movie to infuse a surrealist experience into the film. Notably, some scenes of the film feature intense close-ups on actors' faces combined with harsh and bright colors in a way that is almost disorienting. It was surprising how effective this technique was, and it really helped make the experience stand out.
While the movie was enjoyable, there were some aspects of the film that had issues. One major letdown, the seeming lack of true consequences from the events of the film, especially since the movie made such a focus on building them up. At many points in the movie, Hansen is faced with the impending consequences of some of his actions, but the fallout of them is never shown.
Humor was treated in a strange way in this film. While not a comedy, “Primetime” had occasional interjections of humor in otherwise very dramatic and tense scenes, leading to a whiplash of emotions. In some instances, it felt like it broke the pacing of important moments, while in other scenes it felt more earned.
The film's ending is also extremely abrupt. There is a shocking climax followed rapidly by a time-jump into a quiet ending scene that does not acknowledge the climax at all. It was somewhat disappointing walking out of the theater, especially since the climax left so much potential for powerful falling action.
At the same time, the film is constrained by being a dramatization of real events that occurred in the 2000s. Despite this, many points in the movie obviously depart from reality, and the ending would have benefited from doing the same.
“Primetime” was a dramatic spectacle of a film, giving a look into the drama behind the scenes of network television and the psychology of one of the worst crimes in the world.
Written by Mason Merkle
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