The movie Primetime opens with a re-enactment of a classic To Catch a Predator setup, in which a man, following multiple online conversations with someone he thought was a very young person, enters a house filled with hidden cameras, believing that he’s about to have sex with a minor. Instead, out comes Chris Hansen, with some hard questions about what the man is doing there, and what he expects to happen next. The movie truly opens with a close-up on Robert Pattinson, rehearsing his lines and preparing for his moment in the spotlight.
Directed by Lance Oppenheim and written by Ajon Singh, Primetime compresses a number of real-life events into a tight timeframe, as Chris Hansen and his loyal producer Andie, played by Merritt Wever, find out from NBC president Jeff Zucker that their show’s popularity is being rewarded with a new timeslot: It’s going to be scheduled against 2006 broadcast TV juggernaut Lost, which originally aired on ABC.
The Show’s Impact
As documented by the movie’s official source material, the 2007 Esquire article “Tonight on Dateline This Man Will Die”, this resulted in tragic consequences. But before then, we get an inner look at Chris Hansen and Andie’s operation, with newly hired decoy Dan, played by Skyler Gisondo, thrust into the middle of a sting on his first day that involves an exposed penis and whipped cream.
Dan’s not the only decoy working on the production, but he’s a pure actor who enjoys studying old episodes of Inside the Actor’s Studio for insight into the craft. Meanwhile, the other decoy, Del, played by Phoebe Bridgers, is the only one who’s worked with actual victims of sexual abuse.
The Cast’s Performances
Robert Pattinson’s take on Chris Hansen is magnetic yet ruthless on a level you can’t anticipate, as if Hansen used the cursed monkey’s paw to wish that a star of this caliber would one day play him in a movie. All of Pattinson’s choices, from his too-studied mannerisms to a genuine discomfort with real human emotion, feel downright sociopathic.
This contrasts elegantly with Merritt Wever’s signature low-key delivery as Andie, who exists in a permanent state of trying to keep the show on track, knowing her hard work will never be appreciated by the men around her. Skyler Gisondo also makes a huge impression as a young man who doesn’t fully understand the scope of his big break at first, and maybe lets it break him by the end.
Conclusion
Primetime isn’t the best film breakdown of the To Catch a Predator phenomenon — for the ultimate examination of the show’s impact on society, the documentary Predators is a must-see. However, the maximalism of Oppenheim’s direction and Pattinson’s performance capture the ruthlessness of the time, an era of transition where basic human decency could get lost in the mix. Primetime debuts in theaters on Friday, September 25th.
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