Film Review: ‘Primetime’ Features an Electric Robert Pattinson Channeling the Grotesqueries of Chris Hansen and ‘To Catch a Predator’

Chris Hansen and To Catch a Predator holds, at the very least, an infamous spot within pop culture. The debate still rages on about whether the show was a public service, dangerous exploitation, or something in between. Both Hansen and the show have a complicated history, so a film about them makes all the sense in the world. Along comes Primetime, which is far less concerned with being a biopic of Hansen or a dissection of the program. Instead, it’s a stylish and stylized psychological thriller as much as anything else. I’m not sure the movie has a whole lot to say, but what it does say about how ratings trump humanity does land. Plus, it has one of the very best performances of 2026.

Primetime is a good flick that’s elevated by an outstanding Robert Pattinson performance that stands tall with anything he’s ever done. The way he inhabits Hansen is positively hypnotic. More on Pattinson below, but without him, the film would not have hit like it does. The first half is far more compelling than the second half, as well as more entertaining, but the movie does want you to need a shower once the credits roll. Trust me, you’ll need one too.

We’re dropped right in to one of the sting operations that Chris Hansen (Pattinson) fronted for Dateline NBC. Here, we have a potential pedophile (Tony Revolori), known by the screen name MarriedAndLookingForFun31313 showing up and being essentially ambushed by Hansen. There’s a whole operation here, which starts with Xavier Von Erck (Matthew Maher) fishing for the creeps online, and Del (Phoebe Bridgers) pretending to be the underage boy or girl. Once they arrive, Del goes away and Chris shows up, with the authorities waiting in the wings. Producing it all is Andie Bender (Merritt Wever). They have a show in To Catch a Predator that audiences like, even if NBC head Jeff Zucker (Jeff Zucker) doesn’t. He recognizes ratings, however, and moves them to primetime, with the expectation of bigger fishes being caught.

In 2006, To Catch a Predator has Dan Plumb (Skyler Gisondo) working as their newest decoy, while Xavier is on the trail of a real whale. As they try to reel him in, Chris is obsessed with making television history. At the same time, the National Enquirier is preparing a story about his extramarital affair, which he’s trying to keep from his wife Mary (Anna Faris). Anyone who knows the true story will know what happened with their whale, as well as what it meant for the show, but watching it all unfold is fairly unsettling, intentionally so.

Robert Pattinson arguably gives the best performance of his career here, and the same can be said of Skyler Gisondo, Matthew Maher, and Merritt Weaver. Those four are outstanding, really leaning in to both the grotesqueries of making this show, as well as the addictive nature of succeeding in nailing pedophiles. Pattinson especially is able to channel Hansen while also making him an even more ghoulish figure. It’s compelling and hypnotic, while still being funny and sad. It’s one of, if not the most, complete performances of his career. Phoebe Bridgers does a nice job in a limited role, while Anna Faris is mostly wasted. In addition to the cameos essentially from Tony Revolori and Jeff Zucker, supporting players here include Creed Bratton, Jessica Hecht, Bill Heck, Jonathan Lipnicki, Alex Winter, Bokeem Woodbine, and more.

Director Lance Oppenheim and writer Ajon Singh are going for style over substance with Primetime, even if the hope was for both. Singh is loosely adapting the 2007 Esquire article “Tonight on Dateline This Man Will Die” while Oppenheim is freed from his documentary roots, so it leads to a very stylistic endeavor. Oppenheim and Singh start out with a bang, especially as they showcase how the show is made. It’s in the back half, when the obsession takes hold, that the pacing lags. There’s a hump in the middle to get over, and then the third act is a mixed bag, so the early goodwill is slightly squandered. At the same time, it’s impossible to look away, even knowing where things ultimately are going.

Primetime overcomes its flaws due to an electric Robert Pattinson and the can’t look away aspect of watching the behind the scenes of how To Catch a Predator got made. Pattinson alone is worth the price of admission, with Gisondo, Maher, and Weaver also doing excellent work. There’s a missed opportunity to explore the whys of it all, but even so, watching the hows is still fairly satisfying, if a grimy affair.

SCORE: ★★★