After a month of waiting, the UK finally gets to sink their teeth into Primetime – and the experience was definitely worth the wait.
Primetime, directed by Lance Oppenheim and written by first-time screenwriter Ajon Singh, is based on a true story following Chris Hansen (Robert Pattinson), host of To Catch a Predator, as he aims to make television history. He claims to make the world safer by televising his undercover operations catching predators, but how far is too far? And what happens when things don't exactly go to script?
From its opening moments, the film transports you straight to 2006. The digicam-like quality, occasionally used in scenes emulating moments from To Catch a Predator, works beautifully, and evokes a weirdly nostalgic feeling that adds an additional unnerving undertone considering the subject matter. Primetime plays with voyeuristic camera angles to great effect, whether that's peering through a gap in the door, watching from high-angled security cameras, or observing through a car mirror. It's often uncomfortable by putting the audience in a point of view that feels like they're watching something they shouldn't. In a way this plays into the discussion about the morality of To Catch a Predator: what are you supposed to feel when seeing these people get caught?
Because the film is based on true events, anyone familiar with how the real story ends will feel a sense of dread that hangs over every scene like a guillotine. You know exactly what the narrative is hurtling towards, all too aware of To Catch a Predator's gruesome end.
Robert Pattinson once again delivers a generational performance, from his supervillain-esque entrance to his slowly deteriorating psyche in the latter half of the film. Pattinson's Chris Hansen is ever so slightly inhuman; he shakes someone's hand for a bit too long, smiles with nothing behind the eyes, and he constantly introduces himself on the phone when he picks up – even to his wife. Hansen delights in watching the subjects of his show suffer, his lip twitching trying to suppress a smile when someone starts begging for mercy, and Pattinson nails every minute movement. He approaches playing Chris Hansen nearly as if he were in American Psycho or Nightcrawler, an absolutely brutal dissection of character.
The supporting cast, especially Merritt Wever as Andie the producer, are also outstanding and go toe-to-toe with Pattinson in multiple scenes. Wever sells Andie's complexity as she becomes deeper and deeper entangled in the show, eventually letting go of her own personal morals. Particularly in the final act, she truly shines, having abandoned her chance to escape and trying to steer a sinking ship.
Another highlight of the film that doesn't deserve to go unnoticed is the lighting. Its use of colour is feverish, mesmerising, and simply jaw-dropping. Primetime is visually unique, and I'm sure we will see many movies in the future trying to emulate this style – pitch decks will never be the same. Not only is it beautiful, but the lighting also mirrors Hansen's declining mental state. Why isn't there an Oscar for best lighting yet?
Primetime is an unrelenting look behind the scenes filled with voyeuristic angles and unnerving close-ups, anchored by a career-best performance from Robert Pattinson. It doesn't pull its punches and swings hard at Hansen and his collaborators, culminating in a tense film you can't look away from.
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