A24 released “Primetime” in theaters Friday.
“Primetime” is a semi-fictionalized retelling of the rise and fall of the hidden camera crime show “To Catch a Predator,” which ran from 2004-2007. The show followed investigative journalist Chris Hansen as he went across America investigating and exposing sexual predators — focusing on those who target children under the age of 18 years old — all the while recording these predators once they were caught. After a brief conversation between Hansen and the predator about who they are and why they did what they did, they would be arrested by police officers waiting nearby.
“To Catch a Predator” proved to be a smash success, garnering millions of viewers and high ratings every episode. Fans tuned in every episode to watch Hansen confront predators with the weight of their actions before turning them over to the police. Despite numerous ethical concerns raised by journalists and entertainment professionals about the show’s process of catching predators and entrapment, the wider American audience still loved watching every second of the show’s investigations.
“To Catch a Predator’s” time in the spotlight began to fade in November 2006, when a predator the show was investigating committed suicide after the police came to their home to arrest them. NBC, the network airing “To Catch a Predator,” later aired the investigation and the events surrounding it as an episode of the show. Members of the predator’s family filed a lawsuit against NBC and “To Catch a Predator,” which was settled for an undisclosed amount. With the controversy of the death surrounding the show and steadily decreasing viewership, NBC canceled “To Catch a Predator” in 2008.
“Primetime” is a dramatized retelling of the show’s collapse. Hansen is played by Robert Pattinson. Pattinson portrays Hansen as a creepy and narcissistic person bent on his own success. He will lie, cheat and kowtow to anyone if it means a boost to his popularity or maintaining his affluent lifestyle. Pattinson’s unsettling and occasionally pathetic performance as a man watching his life fall apart around him is one of the standout parts of the film.
Supporting characters in the film include Hansen’s producer Andie Bender (Merritt Wever), predator decoys Del Harvey (Phoebe Bridgers), Dan Plum (Skyler Gisondo) and predator investigator Xavier Von Erck (Matthew Maher). Many of these characters were created for the film, as were a majority of the rest of the characters besides Hansen and a few other important figures.
“Primetime’s” story is the film’s weakest aspect. The story’s primary focus is on the idea of chasing fame and leaving everything else behind. This is primarily presented to the audience through the story of Dan Plum, an actor trying to use the show as his big break into the acting world. As he tries to reach stardom, the audience watches as he abandons his friends and ethical foundation to become popular. He acts as a good foil to Hansen, who has already sacrificed everything and is now desperately trying to hold together what little he was able to keep. Hansen and Plum have a good dynamic, but it unfortunately is not enough to keep the story interesting.
Much of the tension of the film is built on the shock value certain scenes provide and not the progression of the story itself. The story does not do much to build suspense as to what happens next, instead relying on the quick shocks to the system the predator investigation scenes provide. The investigation scenes use the occasional perverse actions performed by the predators to create a sense of unease and disgust in the audience. While these scenes do a good job making the audience feel how characters like Plum feel, they do not contribute to the weight or tension of the overarching film, making the story feel less impactful than it tries to be.
The place the film really shines is in its visuals. “Primetime” rarely has any part of its 2-hour runtime that is not visually impactful in some capacity. The film uses a mix of practical effects, high-contrast colors and abnormal camera angles to make every frame striking and impactful. The unique visuals help scenes that would normally be mundane stay in the audience’s mind long after they finish watching.
Unfortunately for “Primetime,” its striking camerawork and Pattinson’s captivating performance are not enough to elevate the movie into greatness. The average storytelling and the lack of overarching tension keep “Primetime” from being the deep film about the consequences of chasing fame it tries to be.
Rating: 3/5
@micahdfenner
mf465224@ohio.edu
