Primetime (3 stars out of 4)
Coming on the heels of last year’s documentary, “Predators,” “Primetime” is the live action, “inspired by true events” story of Chris Hansen and TV’s “To Catch a Predator,” the mid-2000s NBC program that purported to hunt child predators and broadcast the results to the world.
Given the subject matter alone, it’s easy to understand that whether it’s a quality production or not, “Primetime” is not going to be an enjoyable watch. And sure enough, in spite of some strong performances and a compelling story–not to mention some conscious, stylish direction–director Lance Oppenheim’s effort leaves you wondering whether the experience was worth the tradeoff.
We meet Hansen (Robert Pattinson) in 2006, just as he’s about to confront one of the titular predators in the show’s established TV sting formula. By this point, the process is already in place: show employees lure predators online by pretending to be underage kids, arrange for an in-person meeting, then have a “decoy” (an adult who looks young enough to pass for said child) meet the target at the door before delivering them into the hands of Hansen, who confronts them with a host of TV cameras and, shortly afterward, law enforcement representatives.
So far the formula is working, though you get the sense the people hunting the predators may not be as noble as they present themselves. There’s no question the target’s intentions are abominable, but there’s something about the methodology that feels off, especially the publicizing and commercializing of the encounters.
“Primetime” continues to explore this tension as we go behind the scenes of the show, getting to know Hansen, his producer Andie (Merritt Wever), and a newly recruited decoy named Dan (Skyler Gisondo), who is thrust into a sting operation thinking he’s on set for a traditional acting gig. Contrary to his pious, smug confrontational attitude, Hansen has his own skeletons, Andie is being lured away from the show by a competing network, and Dan’s storyline clearly indicates that “the business” is every bit as unpleasant as the world Hansen’s show is presumably trying to infiltrate.
The plot escalates as NBC executives decide to ramp up their promotion of “Predator” by pitting it against ABC’s “Lost,” and encourage Hansen to target even more deplorable predators. This leads to a high-level target in Texas that becomes the narrative focus of the film.
Again, the performances here especially effective. Pattinson plays Hansen as a figure unable to fully empathize and connect with anyone as he struggles to separate his professional persona from his real-life interactions, even introducing himself by his full name when calling his wife. Wever’s effective turn as Andy shows her character’s wrestle between her professional aspirations and the lingering doubts that tug on her morality, and Gisondo’s Dan is the most sympathetic of all.
But, as you might imagine, the subject matter and the related discussion–which includes recitations of lurid online chat discussions and some frankly unnecessary instances of graphic nudity–confirms that “Primetime” will not appeal to general audiences. It’s an effective document of a television show that was problematic at best, and a nuanced portrait of its creator. But coming on the heels of a documentary on the same subject, it may not exactly be essential viewing.
“Primetime” is rated R for profanity, graphic dialogue and nudity, and some violence.