Primetime is sure to make audiences bite their fingernails every single second from the opening logos to the end credits. That much is obvious. The question is, does it actually earn this tension, or does it merely rely on its subject matter to make itself tense?
In other words, any movie that uses the subject of child predation is going to make the audience nervous. It is the most horrible thing on planet Earth, unambiguously. Primetime goes one step further in setting itself up for dramatic success by using To Catch a Predator as its subject matter, possibly the most infamous television show in history. Everyone in the United States has at least heard of this show and knows what the basic premise is, and many people know how and why it ended. In that sense, Primetime is indeed set up to succeed, but on the other hand, A24 has pitted itself against monumental expectations, as well as a near universally-known spoiler for the most important part of the film.
That seems to be one of the reasons why Primetime feels empty – or, at the very least, gives the audience a sense of emptiness. When you know how the movie ends, and when your expectations are merely met (if that) during virtually all the scenes, you are bound to feel a sense that something is missing. But there’s more to it than that.
Robert Pattinson is the man. After his Twilight years, he has established himself as a premiere actor in Hollywood in major roles in The Batman, The Drama, and The Odyssey. So naturally, this would feel like the role of a lifetime. But here, Pattinson rarely gets to go beyond “smarmy jerk.” It’s effective at first, but we have seen this sort of thing in basically every movie about Hollywood celebrities, and it grows tiring quickly. The subplot about Chris Hansen’s personal scandal going public and the few seconds we get with him seeing his children do not add a substantial amount. There is one particular scene where Hansen has an emotional breakdown, and Pattinson really shows off his acting chops in this sequence, similar to Emily Blunt’s shining moment in this year’s Disclosure Day.
Director Lance Oppenheim’s documentary work, both past and future, have landed him stardom. But his approach to directing may contribute to that feeling of “emptiness.” Admittedly, there are many sequences where there are stellar artistic choices, such as the decision to film a particular scene from nearly the perspective of the predator. But there is some evidence here that Oppenheim is struggling to adapt in his first narrative feature length film. Not clueless by any stretch, but struggling. The cast is underwhelming on the whole, the film is framed and blocked in ways that aren’t compelling, and the extensive use of stock footage is exhausting. There are also multiple moments where we are pulled away from the confrontation between Hansen and the predators in order to see the backstage crew, which sucks a little bit of life out of these sequences.
Perhaps the biggest, but ultimately most justified, reason why Primetime leaves the audience with a feeling of emptiness is the somewhat ambiguous morality. The film makes no bones about the fact that Hansen dealt with evil, and there is a sequence where Hansen recalls an incident in India that emphasizes that effectively. But at the same time, Primetime isn’t afraid to confront the complexities of these cases. People caught on this show ranged from the unemployed to religious figures to, most infamously, law enforcement and attorneys. But most disturbingly, the mentally and physically disabled feature, and most disturbingly within that subset is one particular sequence, specifically the one where “Dan the Decoy” fills in for Hansen. The film doesn’t quite ask if “this is the right thing to do.” It never questions the basic assumption that catching predators is important. Rather, it asks if we can imagine something better than the methods employed by the film’s main characters. Is there a way that we can prevent child predation that isn’t so blunt and damaging, so exploitative? That question doesn’t yet have an answer, but it’s worth trying to find one.
Some people will find that question revolting, such as a minor character on an airplane who may represent the average person. Based on interviews given, Lance Oppenheim is probably not that character on the airplane.
It would be an injustice to finish this review without mentioning Skyler Gisondo as Dan Plum. He is the real star of the show. Chris Hansen is an interesting character in Primetime, but the actual protagonist is Gisondo’s Plum. He is given more opportunity to portray profound emotions than Pattinson is, and he capitalizes on that opportunity, essentially acting as the audience’s lens into the action. His story is compelling and deserved more screen time, but at least there is a satisfying conclusion to his arc.
Primetime is like a meal at certain Michelin star restaurants. It gives you a lot talk about, and still doesn’t leave you quite satisfied. Its complexities betray anyone who is looking for a typical night out at the movies. This is not McDonald’s. This is something different. But the question of whether it is well executed or not feels undecided. It feels like something that could spring into more. What’s next for Oppenheim, Pattinson, Gisondo, writer Ajon Singh, and the rest of the cast and crew? That question may be just as interesting as the film itself.
