In a post‑9/11 America, one of the earliest examples of “war on terror, but make it pop” was To Catch a Predator. A show about catching pedophiles on network TV, for your entertainment, baby! No host was a more perfect image for exploiting the dark-sided nature of human behavior than Chris Hansen. The show was his claim to fame, making him go from a household name to a public figure and, today, a meme. Twenty years after NBC’s run, doc filmmaker Lance Oppenheim crafts an origin story to that one Bowling for Soup line, “When did reality become TV?” In Primetime, a narrative snapshot of the show’s brief lifespan and how the worst guys on earth caught even more terrible people, not for the good of helping the common American, but to prop up their own image and fearmonger — if not outright aggravate — the already vulnerable state of American culture. Robert Pattinson, one of the best to do it these days, gives us a seat as Chris Hansen and has a ball in Lance Oppenheim’s narrative feature turn.
MPA Rating: R (for disturbing sexual material, graphic nudity, some violent content, and language.)
Runtime: 1 Hour and 50 Minutes (110 minutes)
Language: English
Production Companies: A24, Icki Eneo Arlo, Range Media Partners, Square Peg
Distributor: A24
Director: Lance Oppenheim
Screenwriter: Ajon Singh
Cast: Robert Pattinson, Merritt Wever, Skyler Gisondo, Phoebe Bridgers, Bokeem Woodbine, Anna Faris, Matthew Maher, Alex Winter
U.S Release Date: September 25, 2026
The workplace drama chronicles the show’s short run, starting in 2006. By then, Chris Hansen (Pattinson) was already known for trapping child predators in his own star‑making way, entering a room with the theatricality of a Broadway diva about to bring the house down. He catches men at their most vulnerable, hands‑on in the edits, wanting a close‑up of his prey for viewership. He even extends his time in the voice booth, perfecting narration for promos. Alongside his team — producer Andie Bender (Merritt Wever), who is all for the ratings; Del Harvey (Phoebe Bridgers), their female decoy; and online chat wizard Xavier Von Erck (Matthew Maher) — he catches predators and blasts them on live TV.
The first slew of episodes becomes a ratings hit, and NBC President Jeff Zucker (playing himself?!?) moves it to rival Lost’s slot (the most-watched show on TV at the time). In the interim comes new hire Dan Plum (Skyler Gisondo), a young actor hungry for his big break who finds himself at the epicenter of the series as “Decoy Dan,” the bait for the switch. But as the show hits big, Hansen faces an impending threat that endangers his grandiose, inflated sense of self — and his axis as a dutiful God to the mortal predators — as well as his desire to expose a groomer in a higher form of government.
Primetime has a fascinating moral dilemma buried beneath its workplace drama.
(L-R) Robert Pattinson, Skyler Gisondo Credit: Courtesy of A24
Primetime seemed to be the chaser to Dan Gilroy’s Nightcrawler, but it channels a dark, gritty sensibility. Lance Oppenheim and his usual DP, David Bolen, shoot their scenes like an ‘80s techno thriller with the same haunting reach as voyeuristic noirs like Blow-Up and Body Double. It’s reminiscent of Hackers with its hazy VHS retro shots, crossfades, and noir mood lighting.
The film plays more into workplace drama than the expected character study. As it chronicles the entire one-and-done season of the show, it captures every party intent on using their predators as a grandiose spectacle for American consumption. The film has Hansen, Bender, and Plum on the morality metric scale, oscillating between three separate stories: Hansen’s ego being thrown off by an impending adultery scandal; Plum’s desire to be seen in his acting career to the point he wants to appease Hansen; and (the weakest) Bender getting poached by ABC for What Would You Do?, like it’s her final chance to cleanse her soul. I adore Merritt Wever’s performance, whose soft-spoken voice doesn’t negate her fierceness. She shares Hansen’s warped behavior, prioritizing good television and ratings over the decoy’s well-being, but her subplot lacks real substance.
At the forefront, Pattinson captures Hansen in the way that Heath Ledger’s Joker unsettled audiences. Starting off as a self-important farce, he humorously enjoys talking about himself. Yet, during intimate private conversations with his wife (a wasted Anna Faris), he tries to convince her he can be a good dad again. He even wakes up his sons in the middle of the night to show them how cool he is on TV.
Skyler Gisondo’s performance soars as the only human avatar thrown into this dark jungle, with phenomenal eye reads, pitching his voice up a few octaves to settle into the decoy role. His acting in the initial “bait” scene is a stellar, pulse-pounding experience. The naive, validation-seeking Plum juxtaposes Hansen’s ego in scenes that lead to Plum’s gradual corruption, especially the bizarre father-son dynamic that’s admittedly both funny and unsettling. It’s where the film’s potential for true substantial weight is flirted with. There’s also a great contrast in (strangely fantastic in her first acting turn) Phoebe Bridgers’ Del Harvey, who is essentially the only crew member with a soul, acknowledging the importance of their work without the TV ratings side. She also advises Plum on how to protect himself and his mental health. Moments like that are few and far between, with Gisondo being thrown into the backseat for part of the film until it’s convenient to bring him back.
Primetime’s hollow satire gets lost in its own spectacle.
(L-R) Robert Pattinson, Merritt Wever Credit: Courtesy of A24
Oppenheim keeps Primetime in its showbiz bubble, exhibiting what’s probably already common knowledge for people familiar with the series. It will play great for younger Gen-Z audiences who might not know Hansen as well, but it’s a relatively one-track film. That said, the script refrains from digging deeper into any real substance outside of illustrating the perfect “wrong people, right time” in funneling the exploitative nature.
That’s not to negate its entertainment value and potent symbolism. I adore writer Ajon Singh’s approach, imbuing Moby Dick cues where Hansen desperately needs a culprit with government powers, as if he’s Ishmael finding his whale.
Indeed, it’s entertaining, but Primetime’s juggled narratives fail to coalesce into substantial or meaningful commentary, besides how American culture got to our true-crime filter. It doesn’t help that the documentary Predators dropped last year, which criticizes Hansen for kicking down the door of spectacle media with thoughtful gravity and insight.
Primetime has the bells and whistles of visually astounding, grimy, voyeuristic cinema with great performances from Pattinson, Wever, and Gisondo, but its lack of soul renders this To Catch a Predator satire as hollow as Hansen himself.
