Primetime Doesn’t Hold Back—For Better or Worse – A Review

Primetime is a sleek, uber-entertaining character study about someone who probably shouldn’t have been subjected to such a harsh critique. That’s how I would describe the new, controversial A24 film, starring Robert Pattinson as Chris Hansen and directed by Lance Oppenheim in his first venture with the studio.

Going into the film, I already knew how it would depict Chris Hansen. From the initial teaser, you can tell the subject will differ wildly from what people would expect. Instead of focusing on the predators that Hansen and Co. caught during the days of To Catch a Predator, the film decides to turn its attention to Hansen himself and depict how, in Oppenheim’s view, he postured himself as something much more than just a mere TV host. Needless to say, I knew what was coming; however, I wasn’t at all prepared for just how hard the film was going to go in on its point of interest.

But before we get into that, let me go over why I think the film on its own (separate from whether it’s a fair critique of a real-life person) is not only entertaining but also sharp, sleek, and thoroughly unsettling. Robert Pattinson continues his crusade in helping us forget about the Twilight Saga by supplying us with one of his best performances to date. He’s an absolute knockout in this, from his intensity to his voice and mannerisms to the subtleties he displays in the quiet moments. There wasn’t a single second in this film that was wasted when he was on screen.

One scene in particular, between him and Skyler Gisondo (which we’ll get to next), stuck out to me as absolute gold. In it, Hansen recalls his time in India, detailing his investigation into missing-children reports and what one little girl saw that has stayed with him for decades. The scene is set nicely by gorgeous camerawork and intense lighting, but it’s only so memorable because of Pattinson’s monologue, which is almost entirely a voiceover. He’s brilliant: switching effortlessly between genuine carefulness and a subtle intensity that reminds you of his sinister nature. That one scene may have solidified his first Oscar win.

Now on to the aforementioned Skyler Gisondo, who plays Dan Plum, or “Decoy Dan” as he’s referred to by Hansen. Plum is a young, wide-eyed, aspiring actor who gets hired to play one of the decoys on To Catch a Predator. Unlike literally everyone else in the film, Plum sees the world a shade brighter until he is thrust into character on his first day on set without really any knowledge of what’s going on. Without getting into spoilers, his first day is very, very rough and doesn’t exactly go to plan. He is subjected to the darker side of the entertainment industry very quickly, and it emotionally breaks him.

It isn’t until Chris himself speaks to him over dinner that Plum decides to stay on as a decoy for the show to gain an acting credit (he desperately wants to get his union card, and the show would be a major step in accomplishing that). Gisondo does a terrific job in this role and honestly steals many of the scenes that he’s in. He reflects his character’s naivety very well, which helps to give the audience someone to root for in a cast of characters that are, more or less, deplorable in both morals and ethics. I would not be surprised if Gisondo receives some award recognition for his work here.

The humour in this film was also a welcome surprise. Oppenheim knew when to sprinkle in some levity at the right moments, and the jokes he came up with were so good they managed to rival bits from my favourite comedies from the last few years. Not to mention there was one joke in a Subway that had my whole theatre cackling, but I won’t spoil it here.

Tone is another thing I want to mention. I’ve seen people criticise it for being unintentionally inconsistent, but I firmly disagree with that assertion. This is a character-focused, psychological thriller through and through, and I personally might have to question anyone who thinks otherwise because it’s pretty hard to come out of watching that style of film and think something different.

I can’t rave enough about the film’s cinematography and lighting. My gosh, it is beautiful. In an era where films seemingly lost the desire to have any colour, this film never shies away from giving us something beautiful to look at. From cool blues to warm oranges, every scene is lit with a clear intention. Oh, and the framing is just as magnetic. So many interesting shots that bring both life and energy to the screen. Easily one of the most beautifully shot films that has been released this decade.

To end this review, I want to circle back to how this film depicts its point of interest in comparison to the predators. Now, I don’t agree with the online discourse that paints the film as sort of apologetic towards the predators. However, it does manage to make Hansen out to be someone so over-the-top narcissistic and cartoonishly egotistical that he comes across as someone just as vile, if not more, than the predators themselves. This is where my praise for the film ends, as I think it fictitiously depicts a real-life individual as someone who is just as evil as the paedophiles they catch in the show.