Dir: Lance Oppenheim
Cast: Robert Pattinson, Merritt Wever, Skyler Gisondo, Phoebe Bridgers, Matthew Maher, Anna Faris, Bokeem Woodbine, Alex Winter, Tony Revolori, Jonathan Lipnicki
Robert Pattinson’s fascinatingly unhinged performance as Chris Hansen anchors this dark satire, which, even without a clear narrative focus, boldly probes the blurring lines between justice and media pageantry
Lance Oppenheim, the American documentarian-turned-filmmaker, is poised to make a seismic impact on the industry, thanks in part to his narrative debut “Primetime” and even more to the buzz around his groundbreaking Elizabeth Holmes documentary “You Can See Everything”. Though his co-directorial project with Nathan Fielder has yet to be screened to UK audiences, it has already swept up universal acclaim and stormed the US box office, eclipsing what many thought would be his first mainstream breakthrough. I haven’t yet caught Oppenheim’s earlier directorial ventures, “Some Kind of Heaven” (2020) and “Spermworld” (2024), but his reputation among American documentarians had me eagerly awaiting his ambitious 2026 “double-feature.”
Though “Primetime” is far from a documentary, with there being considerable creative liberties, Oppenheim and screenwriter Ajon Singh weave in all the visual and thematic hallmarks of cinematic non-fiction. The film boldly probes the ethical lines blurred by the infamous reality show “To Catch a Predator”, which aired on NBC in the US from 2004 to 2007. I never watched the show during its original run, mostly because it barely registered on UK screens, but I’m well-versed in its premise and its host, Chris Hansen, who orchestrated elaborate stings using online chat rooms and adult actors posing as minors. Clips of Hansen’s confrontations have gone viral over the years, and I first encountered them on YouTube, as well as through parodies on shows such as “South Park”. Amusingly, that same animated satire was Oppenheim’s introduction to the show, and when his wife booked Hansen for a congratulatory Vimeo call after “Spermworld”, Oppenheim quickly sensed something oddly theatrical about the host’s persona.
Not long after that strange virtual encounter, Oppenheim connected with actor Robert Pattinson and producer Brighton McCloskey, both of whom stumbled upon Singh’s unpublished “To Catch a Predator” script. Pattinson persuaded Oppenheim to take the helm for his narrative debut, and in a twist of creative bartering, Oppenheim convinced the “Twilight” star to embody Hansen, even as Pattinson juggled a packed 2026 slate that included “The Drama”, “The Odyssey”, and the highly anticipated “Dune: Part Three”.
After viewing the initial Vimeo footage, Pattinson was instructed to channel Hansen’s performative mask, which leaps off the screen as we meet the magnetic yet serpentine host. Hansen psychs himself up for another sting, reciting chilling lines lifted from online chats with an unsuspecting predator. When he sweeps into the kitchen set, flinging aside a curtain like a caped crusader with a script in hand, he confronts his unwitting target with theatrical flair. Hansen’s on-screen bravado masks a tumultuous private life riddled with affairs and looming scandal, but the show becomes an unexpected sensation, prompting NBC head Jeff Zucker to promise him a coveted primetime slot to rival ABC’s “Lost”.
As the crew relentlessly hunts, confronts, and apprehends would-be predators with their brand of vigilante justice, Hansen faces mounting pressure to deliver a headline-grabbing catch—a “whale” that would electrify the nation. When a tip from a Texan officer dangles the prospect of a government official as their next target, the team drops everything and chases the promise of a ratings bonanza.
Though Oppenheim didn’t write the script, its true-story foundation is an ideal launchpad for his leap into narrative cinema. The 30-year-old director transforms what could have been a grim biopic about Hansen and his notorious show into a psychological thriller that shifts focus from the predators to the frenzied media circus exploiting them for ratings and profit. With retro visuals that plunge us into the mid-2000s, complete with grainy production values and the raw look of reality TV from that era, the film lets us examine a sensitive topic through a modern lens. The dated aesthetic not only evokes nostalgia but also highlights how far society’s attitudes have shifted, making it almost unthinkable that a show built on public shaming was once a primetime sensation. While the predators Hansen exposes deserve justice, the morality of televising their downfall remains deeply troubling.
The film lures viewers in with its retro, candy-coloured palette and covert-footage style, evoking the viral clips we’ve all seen, only to twist the narrative into something far more surreal and thematically fierce. Oppenheim’s stylistic choices brilliantly translate the 2007 Esquire exposé that inspired Singh’s script, capturing both the meteoric ascent and spectacular collapse of the once-hyped, short-lived show.
At the heart of this biting satire on media exploitation stands Robert Pattinson, who, despite initial hesitation, delivers one of the most unforgettable performances of his career. From his beginnings in blockbuster franchises like “Twilight” and “Harry Potter”, Pattinson has evolved into an actor who thrives on bold, unconventional choices. His latest transformation as Hansen cements his reputation as one of his generation’s most fearless and versatile talents, now fully at home in the cinematic “creep-zone”—a world away from his early heartthrob image.
Yet for all of Oppenheim’s singular vision and Pattinson’s mesmerizingly unhinged turn, Singh’s script suffers from a lack of focus, ricocheting between sharp media satire and a tangle of dead-end, often overwrought subplots. Some threads, like Hansen’s infidelity or producer Andie’s (Merritt Wever) bid to jump ship for a rival show, feel disconnected from the core themes. The one subplot that truly resonates is that of young actor Dan Plum, played with heartbreaking vulnerability by Skyler Gisondo, who becomes the film’s emotional anchor. In a story brimming with political and emotional landmines, Gisondo’s wide-eyed portrayal exposes the raw innocence lost amid the show’s machinery—something the hardened crew has long since abandoned. As Plum steps into the role of decoy, he finds himself prey not only to real predators but also to the manipulative ambitions of studio heads and showrunners like Hansen, who seem to groom him for their own gain. Gisondo masterfully captures Plum’s gradual awakening, charting his journey from eager 23-year-old actor to a casualty of unchecked corporate greed and exposure to real danger.
While Gisondo and Pattinson each deliver riveting performances, their storylines also underscore the film’s wandering focus, with its message and structure often muddled. Still, their acting, paired with Oppenheim’s striking visuals and the film’s surreal, dreamlike descent as Hansen spirals in his quest to vanquish an “ancient evil,” kept me thoroughly absorbed. For all its imperfections, “Primetime” has left me eagerly awaiting “You Can See Everything” when it arrives in UK cinemas on November 20th. Here’s hoping this marks the beginning of a daring, thematically rich narrative chapter for Oppenheim.
Primetime is now showing in UK Cinemas
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