OBSERVER: Primetime
(MA). 109 minutes. Opens in cinemas October 29.
A fascinating, occasionally frustrating mix of true life drama, atmospheric horror and dark humour, this examination of one of the most controversial TV shows of all-time takes artistic licence to land its punches.
Robert Pattinson plays Chris Hansen, who when introduced in the opening scene, appears from nowhere after we see an adult male attempting to seduce an underage female at her house.
Confronting the potential pedophile, Hansen reads from a transcript the phone calls between the accused and the girl, wanting to know why, before saying he is free to leave. As soon as the man steps outside, he is arrested by waiting police.
This was the format of To Catch A Predator, a reality TV series that ran on Dateline NBC for three years (2004-2007).
Hansen’s crew includes producer Andie Bender (Merritt Weever), online collaborator Xavier (Matthew Maher), regular child impersonator Del (Phoebe Bridgers) and new recruit, Dan Plum (Skyler Gisondo).
The show is a smash hit, with viewers baying for blood as each culprit is caught.
As Hansen craves more targets to achieve bigger fame, we see just how murky the ethics they employ are, which will lead to a shocking incident.
If one has seen the Paramount Plus documentary Predators (2025) (****), it is obvious early on that writer Ajon Singh has taken the real story and fashioned a specific narrative about how these people abuse the legal process in seemingly wanting to tackle a frightening problem, but also how they corrupt (or infect might be a better word) those around them.
At times it feels eerily reminiscent of something like Invasion Of The Body Snatchers.
Documentarian Lance Oppenheim (who is enjoying terrific success at the moment with the highly acclaimed You Can See Everything) interestingly veers considerably from his doco roots to create a stylised nightmare (though the digital photography is spot on), wanting the audience to have an intensely visceral experience.
Pattinson, who is having an extraordinary run at the moment (Mickey 17, Die My Love, The Drama, The Odyssey, Dune Part Three), fully inhabits Hansen and his utter lack of humanity, moving from the horrific to the humorous perfectly.
The other standouts are Wever (Memory, Christy) and especially Gisondo (Book-smart, Licorice Pizza).
The scuzzy video presentation adds to the grimy nature of the story and the people who are part of it.
Primetime will rankle some who want a straightforward presentation of the facts, but those who want something bolder and more inventive, will find this completely involving.
But to really get the most out of what Oppenheim and company are doing, please watch David Osit’s excellent Predators first.
RATING – ****
Aaron Rourke