There are few good reasons to venture out in a nor’easter, and one of them is a film starring Robert Pattinson. “Primetime,” directed by Lance Oppenheim, seeks the ambitious feat of reinventing the standard biopic into something fresh for viewers.
Written by Ajon Singh, it is based on the revered 2007 Esquire article, “Tonight on Dateline this Man will Die” by Luke Dittrich. In its debut, “Primetime” is A24’s third-best box office opening weekend ever at $19.2 million.
Oppenheim’s experience in documentaries, notably “Spermworld,” is shown throughout the film in its transportive depictions of its 2006 setting and thoughtful inclusions of real media.
The film follows Dateline NBC’s “To Catch a Predator” as it embarks on competing against television titans “Lost” and “Survivor” in the coveted primetime slot. Since its premiere in 2004, “To Catch a Predator” caught national attention for executing and broadcasting real sting operations against child predators.
The reality show boasts an elaborate set-up complete with child decoys Del Harvey, played by Phoebe Bridgers, and Dan Plum, played by Skyler Gisondo, and an armory of hidden cameras. Just as the predators are ensnared, TCAP’s host Chris Hansen, portrayed by Pattinson, emerges behind the curtain to interrogate these men with the damning question: “What would have happened if I wasn’t here?”
Regardless of its unique allure, the primetime slot is still a tall order; it means Hansen and his team must air confrontations even more squeamishly enthralling than before. However, TCAP’s initial aim of protecting children from child predators quickly becomes muddled by the team’s overwhelming obsession with high ratings.
It can be easily argued that Pattinson skillfully inhabits every role, from the angsty Bruce Wayne in “The Batman” to the quintessential Edward Cullen in “Twilight.” Going beyond simply mimicking his mannerisms and bold quips, Pattinson heightens Hansen’s presence to appear slyly wolfish on screen.
Amazingly, the distinctive sound of Chris Hansen’s stately cadence becomes blatantly inauthentic on Pattinson’s tongue. It is deeply entertaining and awkwardly laughable at times. I found myself deeply impressed by the performances of Bridgers and Gisondo, who thrive in scenes that demand emotionally turbulent yet grounded performances.
As a viewer, you definitely experience the film’s attempt to fully flesh out Hansen’s mentality and morality during this journey. While Hansen does want to protect children from child predation, he is also highly motivated by the fame and praise earned by airing these operations on national television.
One sting after another, Hansen’s psychological cohesiveness unravels until the climactic and highly controversial finale featuring a Texas assistant attorney general who commits suicide upon being found out. While we see Decoy Dan is deeply horrified, Pattinson’s Hansen feels heartbrokenly disappointed: he didn’t even get to question him.
In my Friday-night theater, many young adults filled the seats to witness this R-rated spectacle. Many caught on to the film’s rapid tonal shifts allowed by its seamless editing; they laughed at the darkly comedic moments and audibly cringed at the horrifying bits. However, an air of collective awe really settled over the theatre thanks to the film’s expansive cinematography.
In sharp contrast to its realism, “Primetime” contains deeply psychedelic and surreal sequences that were rich with a spectrum of colors I felt like I’d never seen before. The textures of the pulsing neon-blue television grain steadily envelop Hansen; by the end, he is entranced by the mesmerizing spectrum of static, promising all the fruit national television had to offer. I felt that these creative choices are what solidified the excitement I felt while watching the film.
Ultimately, the film has a lot to say about the cultural landscape that esteemed “To Catch a Predator.” Oppenheim comments on a post-9/11 America’s desperation for publicized demonstrations of righteousness and security to pair with their weekday dinner.
Although “Primetime” introduces these interesting and insightful conversations, I felt like its runtime of 110 minutes scarcely affords any substantiation to adequately finish them. Instead, I felt like it focused more on stylizing the tensely exploitative environment that TCAP proliferated, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Regardless, I fell victim to a sentiment rarely expressed nowadays: “It needed 20 more minutes.”
