Robert Pattinson in Primetime | Credit: A24
Primetime takes us into the world of the hit show To Catch a Predator and its crew as they seek to make television history.
This film immediately transports the audience back to twenty years ago. From the aspect ratio to the grainy quality of the visuals, to the clips of other hit shows at the time, it’s clear that we’re no longer in 2026, if only for a couple of hours. That visual shift is so important because the show To Catch a Predator came at a unique moment in time. Reality TV was taking over, and audiences were living vicariously through these moments of high drama with larger-than-life personalities. And we couldn’t get enough of it.
After watching Primetime, I couldn’t help but think about where we find ourselves today. Our media landscape looks quite different than it did in 2006. Today, reality TV is all the rage—from housewives, to game shows, to cooking shows, to true crime documentaries—there’s so much to choose from within this one genre. This also extends to podcasts, social media, and more. So many people spend their lives making, curating, and consuming this type of content.
We’re also living in a time when there’s been some reflection on the harm that some of the reality shows from twenty years ago caused. I couldn’t help but think of the Netflix documentaries Reality Check: Inside America's Next Top Model and Fit for TV: The Reality of The Biggest Loser, examining the harms of America’s Next Top Model and The Biggest Loser, respectively. Two influential TV brands of the 2000s that actually caused immense harm not just to the contestants but to people watching these “entertainment” shows.
And Primetime is an invitation to examine it all. From the network that platformed these types of shows, to the hosts, producers, and casts who poured their blood, sweat, and tears into these shows, and the audience who found entertainment from watching the demise of others. There’s an opportunity to look at how the media landscape has changed over the last twenty years… and how that media has changed us as well.
Merritt Wever and Robert Pattinson in Primetime | Credit: A24
In addition to being thematically rich and thought-provoking, Primetime also features stellar performances, particularly from the three leads.
Robert Pattinson is the headliner as Chris Hansen, the charismatic host of To Catch a Predator. Pattinson brilliantly embodies all of the anxiety Hansen feels as he finally gets his big break at work while other parts of his life are falling apart. There is an unwavering focus and dedication to this character that masks an incredible amount of anxiety underneath. There are certain parts of the film where he almost seems to be vibrating; there is so much going on within him. And it’s a fantastic performance!
Merritt Wever plays Andie, the dedicated producer of To Catch a Predator. She is the brains behind the operation and helps ensure that everything is working. The show doesn’t work without her. Chris doesn’t work without her. Wever is a real standout as she so competently does her job, despite the constant belittling she suffers through while working with her crew, especially Chris. And yet, when she gets a moment to shine, she jumps right in, and we see just how magical she is. And Wever really shines in the role. There are many fantastic supporting actress performances this year, and I think this is right up there with the best of them. I hope that she gets some recognition come awards season.
And finally there’s Skyler Gisondo, who plays Dan Plum, the new decoy with To Catch a Predator. He’s an aspiring actor who’s doing this show to be able to pay his bills and, most importantly, get a credit so that he can get his actor’s guild card. He is new to this world, just like we are, and is an important audience stand-in as we learn this show alongside him. And Gisondo gives a fantastic performance. So much of this film hinges upon him, and he absolutely nails it.
Skyler Gisondo in Primetime | Credit: A24
There’s so much more to Primetime than just a retelling of To Catch a Predator. It’s a thoughtful examination of our media landscape—then and now—and how that affects us. The bad guys in this movie aren’t as clear-cut as we’d like them to be, which I think makes this film so memorable. Plus, it features some fantastic performances that I hope we’ll be talking about in a few months when Oscar nominations are announced.
Primetime is a time machine back to 2006, and there’s much to examine from that time period if we’re willing to look.