FILM REVIEW – PRIMETIME Starring Robert Pattinson

To Catch a Narrative

I find it difficult to write about films that land towards the middle. Ones with so much going for them, and yet they still miss a key piece of their own puzzle. I can point at specific moments and say “this”, but at the same time point to others and say “well, that too”. That is where I fall with PRIMETIME, the new Lance Oppenheim film (Director of the upcoming You Can See Everything) starring 2026 fave Robert Pattinson (The Drama, The Odyssey, Dune: Part 3).

I could point to the heavy emphasis on many characters’ storylines that diluted some of the messaging. I could also point to some of the dialogue being so earnest in telling you “this is what this is about!” Either way, neither quite captures why this film left me feeling more disappointed than enchanted. Then I remember this was based on true events. This is not a documentary, so of course we cannot establish criticism in that realm. What I can say, though, is that examining the real-life inspiration revealed why the film left me cold. The narrative leaned too much into characters that either were moved around for the story or were not in the story at all. The emotional beats did not ring as honest for me because most of the story was elevated too much, even for Hollywood.

The connective tissue felt forced within a film that did not really need that much to begin with.

You See How This Looks, Right?

Pattinson plays Chris Hansen, host of To Catch a Predator. In the film, Hansen’s show is growing. Jeff Zucker wants to put the show on primetime TV against the likes of LOST. Hansen, portrayed here as someone who yearns desperately for the limelight, sees this as an opportunity to grow even more. Now that he and his Producer Andie Bender (an incredible Merritt Wever) have network money, they are on the hunt to find the worst of the worst child predators in the country. They also need some actors to help them.

Enter Dan Plumb (Skyler Gisondo, stepping away from the DC Universe for a second), singing from RENT (no notes) for his audition. Dan desperately wants to become a serious actor. He gets the gig for TCAP and steps one foot closer to his dream of becoming a SAG Card-carrying actor. His job convenes with the rest of the crew in Fort Myers, Florida.

The film pivots from a story about American television in the 2000s into a more focused drama about heroes, fathers, and what it means to do good for society. Does doing good in front of everyone translate as such at home? Who should we really trust in an industry whose foundation is pure sleaze? Many questions that are answered pretty quickly and then visually shown many different ways after.

What Would You Do?

As mentioned before, the visuals are outstanding. Alex DiGerlando’s Production Design, Kirby Feagan’s Art Direction, Chip Carey/Matthew Atwood’s Lighting Design, and David Bolen’s Cinematography create a distorted world for the film’s Chris Hansen to crash out in. The visuals operate with a persistent fuzziness, much like the CRT TVs many of us grew up watching.

Pattinson and Gisondo also operate with a certain opacity. I will also enjoy the many voices of Robert Pattinson, but this time the character felt more one-sided; the same with Gisondo. They both operate with one goal in mind, whereas Wever’s Bender operates in more than one dimension. When she steps up to Hansen towards the end and says “I can work with this,” it works. She is dealing with egos, sexism and everyone operating above her at all times. All Wever has to do is tilt her head, glance and chew her gum. No bravado necessary.

When reading about what is true vs. fiction, a lot of it is “wink-wink”. I almost wish they created the same story but just made everyone fictional. Then, in the marketing, they can wink to us all they want. Other films have done this in the past. Bombshell based Margot Robbie’s character off of the many accounts at Fox News into one person. Sully compacted many more mundane moments into a more gripping story for the screen.

Upon further thought, I realize the reason they needed to keep it is the reason the movie exists in the first place: high ratings and a lot of money.