Honestly, walking into Primetime, I was very curious by both the premise and what exactly Robert Pattinson’s take on this film would be. And I can confirm that for the most part this film delivers.
Primetime follows Chris Hansen played by Pattinson,(who’s been having a hell of a year) as he attempts to move his show, How to Catch a Predator, up the television ladder. And his dream comes true. Chris finally has an opportunity to reach “primetime”, one of the most coveted slots on cable television, and we find out that he’ll be competing against Lost. So now we know the game. If Chris wants people to tune in, catching regular predators simply won’t do anymore. He needs a whale.
From the very first frame, Primetime throws us into the unsettling world surrounding the production of How to Catch a Predator. We get to meet the people in Chris’ world including the excellent Merritt Wever, who easily because just as fascinating as Hansen. There’s something about the smallest choices Wever makes, down to chewing her gum that tells me everything I need to know about this woman, what she wants, and how bizarre everyone involved in this reality show is.
Then there’s Dan played by Skylar Gisondo, who signs up to work on How to Catch a Predator with dreams of being an actor. Dan doesn’t have the slightest idea what he’s really gotten himself into. Dan quickly discovers that he’ll be the show’s newest predator decoy when, on his first day, a real predator arrives believing Dan is a 13-year-old boy and proceeds to pull his pants down in front of him.
When Journalism Becomes Entertainment
One of the best things about Primetime is its examination of what How to Catch a Predator actually was.
On paper, the show operated under the guise of investigative journalism and changing the world, however, the film repeatedly exposes how artificial and performative the entire show could be. We’re watching what begins to feel less like journalism and increasingly like the boom of reality television in the early 2000’s complete with escalating stakes, characters, ratings and a bizarre host who needs each episode to be bigger than the last.
Chris takes what he’s doing so seriously when it’s clear that a the people around him don’t afford him or the show the same level of respect. That because especially clear with his relationship with Stone Phillips. Chris once occupied the world of serious journalism, for example through his travels in India but now, while another journalist is heading to Afghanistan to report the news, Chris spends his days worrying ratings and finding a predator big enough to compete with Lost.
The question then becomes: When did catching predators stop being enough?
Primetime also keeps pushing on this contradiction. Is this really about doing something good? Is it about ratings? Fame? Justice? Or is there also something intoxicating about having the moral high ground and getting to publicly decide who deserves the electric chair?
Primetime Doesn’t Always Know Which Question It Wants to Answer
The film did lose me in the middle.
The beginning is fantastic. The ending lands the plane. But between those two points, Primetime becomes a bit muddier than than I wanted it to be.
It’s saying a lot of things here and a lot of those ideas are interesting but all together I’m not sure which one the film wants us to sit with. It could be intentional though so I’ll give the team that.
I walked away from Primetime liking it but also feeling like I needed to sit with it longer and potentially watch it again to fully understand what I think it’s ultimately trying to say.
Final Thoughts
Visually, Primetime is stunning. A true 2000’s homage. It understands precisely what this particular moment in pop culture looked and felt like and leans into it full throttle.
By the end, we’re left with an uncomfortable question: What was all of this actually for?
Was it about catching predators? Protecting people? Making compelling television? Becoming famous?
And once again maybe Primetime purposefully refuses to give us a clean answer.
This is also the kind of movie I could see myself watching 2 or 3 times, each time through the perspective of a different character. Their motivations, justifications and relationships to the machine they’re participating in are arguably more interesting than the machine itself.
I know I’ll watch Primetime again. Maybe on a second viewing, some of the ideas that felt muddled in the middle will click into place. But on the first watch, I was fascinated by what the film was attempting even when I wasn’t entirely convinced it pulled all of those ideas together.
