Pattinson delves into his darkest role yet in ‘Primetime’

The lurid promise of “Primetime” stems from the same base-level thrill as the television show it depicts, “To Catch a Predator,” which is the desire to see criminals caught in the act and brought to justice. But “Primetime’s” reality is so heightened, its depiction of events so fantastical, that any tenuous connection it may have had with reality is lost. Its digital haze renders it more of a fever dream than it is a serious consideration of “To Catch a Predator” or the motivations of its host, Chris Hansen.

Hansen, the Metro Detroit-raised newsman, is understandably not too thrilled with the fact that he wasn’t consulted in any way during the making of “Primetime.” But he needn’t have worried: Robert Pattinson’s maniacal portrayal of Hansen is overblown to the point of caricature. He’s like David Bowie playing an alien playing a human playing a TV personality.

“Primetime” opens with one of the show’s infamous sting operations, as Hansen prepares to take down a perv who thinks he’s meeting up with a minor for an encounter. Pattinson-as-Hansen is poring over a script of the online chat between the perpetrator and the decoy he believed to be a young girl, his mouth practically foaming as he repeats the words, “I’ll undress you, you will undress me.” He’s psyching himself up before he goes onstage.

And then it’s showtime. Hansen pops out from behind a curtain, walks down a set of stairs and confronts the man. He’s the game show host as executioner, which was “To Catch a Predator’s” secret sauce: It’s not enough to simply watch a man be swarmed by authorities; it’s better to publicly shame him first, and then let the law do its thing. Getting arrested is one thing; being the subject of ritual humiliation is another.

They’re bad guys doing bad things, so what’s it matter, right? Right?

“Primetime” definitely has feelings on Hansen, “To Catch a Predator” and the show’s ethical practices, but it paints them in broad strokes and turns Hansen into a ratings-hungry egotist out to claw his way to the top by any means necessary.

He’s given practically no home life; his only encounter with his two young sons is a late-night interaction where he watches an episode of “Predator” with the disinterested pair while explaining to them the importance of the show’s primetime placement. He gets one interaction with his wife, played by Anna Faris, as their marriage is depicted as on the rocks at best, dead in the water at worst.

He’s mostly on the job at stings, set up by online vigilante Xavier Von Erck (Matthew Maher), the founder of Perverted-Justice and the man behind the seedy keyboard conversations with the marks. Hansen’s hard-nosed “Predator” producer, Andie Bender (Merritt Wever), is as driven as Hansen is, and will go to any lengths to make good TV. As the stakes are raised, their attention turns toward taking down a big fish, not just nickel-and-dime pedos.

“Superman’s” Skyler Gisondo becomes the heart of “Primetime,” playing Dan Plumb, an aspiring young actor who comes to be known as “Decoy Dan.” He’s thrown into challenging situations he doesn’t fully understand and isn’t prepared for, but he’s willing to do it because it’s work and he wants to become a serious actor. The reinforcement he receives from Hansen and Andie makes him believe he’s a valuable, productive member of the team.

Hansen’s world is crumbling around him as “Primetime” marches toward a tragic incident that would become the undoing of “To Catch a Predator.” Director Lance Oppenheim, making his narrative feature debut, effectively creates a sense of claustrophobia around the host, which is compounded by the movie’s granular look, which is informed by low-res mid-00s digital photography and internet 1.5 aesthetic.

Hansen is being hounded by the “National Enquirer” about some incriminating photos they took of him; the pressure’s on to keep upping the ante on “Predator,” and he wants to show up network high-hog Stone Phillips. He’s driven mad by ambition, success and hubris. But there isn’t much serious probing of Hansen’s psyche or the ramifications of his work; it’s all rather one-dimensional and crass. The 2025 documentary “Predators” took a hard look at “To Catch a Predator,” its practices and its influence, and what it meant to turn law enforcement into entertainment. “Primetime” falls victim to the same practices it’s attempting to put under a microscope. It’s ghoulish theater.

Tribune News Service