Robert Pattinson’s latest A24 outing is pulling from very real and very uncomfortable television history. ‘Primetime‘ is based on Chris Hansen’s real life rise to the top as one of the most famous true crime TV hosts. It is a dramatization built around the show that made him a household name.
So what is ‘Primetime’ based on, exactly? The film credits ‘To Catch a Predator’ as its source material, and the movie follows the launch of that series with Pattinson at the center. Here is a closer look at the true story, the people involved, and the controversy already swirling around the release.
What ‘Primetime’ Is Based On
The movie from documentary filmmaker Lance Oppenheim follows Chris Hansen in 2006 as he sets out to make television history with ‘To Catch a Predator’. It is a rare dramatic feature that treats a real TV franchise as its entire world. The result plays like a behind the scenes look at how a reality show became a national talking point.
The film follows the 2006 launch of the series, which catapulted Hansen into fame. A key moment in the trailer involves a network boss pushing the show into a bigger slot. NBCUniversal chief Jeff Zucker, who plays himself in the film, is heard telling Hansen that America loves the show and that it is moving to nine o’clock primetime.
The film also appears to draw on a piece of long form journalism. The San Francisco Chronicle reports it is based on journalist Luke Dittrich’s Esquire article about a 2006 sting operation on a Texas assistant district attorney named Bill Conradt. That case remains one of the most tragic chapters in the show’s history.
The ‘To Catch a Predator’ Story Behind the Film
For anyone who missed the original run, the concept was simple and deeply controversial. The true crime program, part of Dateline NBC, chronicled Hansen’s efforts to out suspected child predators with the help of law enforcement and a team of decoys pretending to be minors online. Cameras rolled as men arrived at a house expecting to meet someone underage.
‘Primetime’ does not stop at the sting operations themselves. The film fills in background on the show’s rise and fall, focusing on an ambitious, egotistical and at least somewhat delusional Hansen, while his beleaguered producer Andie, played by Merritt Wever, struggles to stay afloat in the ruthless world of TV news. It turns the camera on the people making the spectacle.
The decoys get their own spotlight too. One of them is a performer named Del, played by singer songwriter Phoebe Bridgers, who can impersonate either a boy or a girl. The film also marks Bridgers’ acting debut.
Oppenheim said in his director’s statement that he wanted to trace the ambitions of a journalistic crusader, a mercenary TV producer and a wide eyed Hollywood dreamer converging into a moment of crisis. That framing suggests the film cares as much about ambition and image as it does about the crimes on screen.
Robert Pattinson as Chris Hansen
Pattinson did not set out to play the newsman. Speaking to the San Francisco Chronicle, he said he was drawn to the character even with a packed schedule and a new baby at home. He also credited Hansen’s presence with the reason people are still talking about the show two decades later.
Critics have zeroed in on the transformation. Little White Lies wrote that Pattinson wears Hansen’s skin like a suit, calling his take on the host a career high. The actor has built a reputation for playing unsettling figures, and this role seems to sit right in that sweet spot.
The supporting cast is getting attention as well. Merritt Wever, Skyler Gisondo, Phoebe Bridgers and Sean Bridgers all appear alongside Pattinson. Pattinson also produced the film through his company Icki Eneo Arlo, which gives him a hand in shaping the project beyond the performance.
Reviews and Release Date for ‘Primetime’
The film made its debut on the festival circuit before reaching theaters. Reviews rolled in as it premiered at the Venice Film Festival, and the early notices were largely positive with the cast coming in for particular praise. The early Rotten Tomatoes score sat at a healthy 92 percent.
Not every critic was fully sold. Indiewire gave it a B, while another outlet noted the movie is most revealing when it declines to reveal anything. That tension seems fitting for a film about a show that thrived on spectacle.
Audiences will not have to wait long. ‘Primetime’ arrives in theaters nationwide on September 25.
Then there is the real life drama. Hansen was not involved in the making of the film and has questioned the motives of the filmmakers, and he took issue with an NDA he was asked to sign before a screening. He has since announced that he bought ads to play in front of screenings of the film. With the man himself turning up in theaters, do you think Pattinson’s Hansen deserves an awards push, and would you sit through those ads before the movie starts?
