Primetime (2026)
Directed by: Lance Oppenheim
Premise: Based on true events. Chris Hansen (Robert Pattinson) hosts the television show To Catch a Predator which lures sex offenders into on-camera sting operations. Hansen’s pursuit of ratings and moral righteousness gradually corrupts the integrity of the show.
What Works: Primetime is a fast paced behind-the-scenes story of To Catch a Predator. This is primarily a show business story with the characters facing a variety of ethical problems. As presented here, host Chris Hanson was convinced that he was on a moral crusade. Whether he actually believed that or used morality as a justification for exploitation is unclear but the ambiguity is the point. In the film, Hansen is gradually consumed by the need to ensnare a pedophile with sufficient social standing to impress his network bosses but also satisfy a burning moral drive. Primetime is impressively styled. Color is used deliberately and the filmmakers apply analog techniques that give Primetime a raw and televisual look. This is a film about living life in front of the cameras and whether the camera can reveal the truth or obfuscate it. In the world of Primetime, everything is exploitable content and personalities become performances. The movie is bleakly funny. The filmmakers and the actors find the absurdity in early reality television and in the self-seriousness of the crusaders. Robert Pattinson plays Chris Hansen and it’s a broad performance that is also precise and controlled. Skyler Gisondo plays the adult actor pretending to be a minor and Gisondo is an effectively earnest foil to Pattinson. Also impressive is Merritt Wever as the fictional producer.
What Doesn’t: The series To Catch a Predator was dogged by ethical questions. The producers were accused of entrapment and exploitation and the show was made in a way that blended journalism with law enforcement, potentially corrupting both. These concerns were previously examined in the 2025 documentary Predators. That documentary dug into its subject with discipline and rigor. By comparison, Primetime is shallow and diverted. The filmmakers pull together a lot of ideas about ethics, show business, and identity but the construction is messy. That’s not necessarily a flaw. Life is messy and the looser approach allows for associations between ideas and subplots. But viewers may come away from Primetime without feeling like they’ve been enlightened.
Bottom Line: Primetime is an impressive exercise in style. This is a fast-paced thriller with exceptional performances. It may not raise new critical ideas about journalism but the collision of ideas makes it interesting to contemplate.
Episode: #1118 (September 27, 2026)