Editor’s note: This story discusses themes of sexual abuse and may be upsetting to some readers. Please see the bottom of this story for relevant resources.
“Primetime” marks director Lance Oppenheim’s debut feature after a career in documentary work, and the documentarian’s breakout film has become A24’s largest domestic box office release, opening at an estimated $19.1 million. The film isn’t as factual as a biopic, but it justifies the myths created by unraveling the minds of Chris Hansen and his team.
Based on Luke Dittrich’s 2007 article “Tonight on Dateline This Man Will Die” and written by Ajon Singh, the film follows Chris Hansen (Robert Pattinson) as he sets out to make his show “To Catch a Predator” into material for NBC’s prime time slot: Thursdays at 9 p.m.
The craving for a large audience and journalistic recognition drives Hansen as he forces “Predator” to be bigger than before: a new male decoy (Skyler Gisondo), more predators caught and fishing for ‘The Whale,’ a high-profile man chatting with the Perverted Justice team.
While Hansen deals with the stress of making it big again on television, he also gets a call from a reporter requesting a comment on Hansen’s personal life that causes him to spiral, and suddenly his need for the spotlight escalates.
Even though it’s Oppenheim’s first feature film, he uses crew from previous works, including film editor Daniel Garber, who worked on the Academy Award-winning “Some Kind of Heaven” (2020). The influence of Oppenheim’s documentary work is present in the editing and slow, winding pace to the climax.
The film is accented by spliced clips from shows of the era, including “What Would You Do?” (2009), “Lost” (2004) and segments of breaking news from 2006. The variety of clips from television’s creative past forces the audience to reckon with a present that is made of a consumption of reality.
Film Colorist Damien Vandercruyssen does an amazing job of pulling greens, blues and yellows to create the vividness of the movie, while the soundtrack by Ari Balouzian is a delicate blend of orchestral strings and eerie pulses that set the tone.
Chris Hansen is Pattinson’s third major role this year — Antinous in “The Odyssey” (2026), and Charlie Thompson in “The Drama” (2026) make his first and second, while “Dune: Part 3” (2026) will be his fourth in December. Pattinson delivers another immersive performance; however, it is the plotlines of other characters that truly round out and show off all sides of Hansen’s personality.
Merritt Wever, as producer Andie Bender, acts as Hansen’s control, but is only in it for herself and is ready to take off at any second if the show doesn’t make it big. Skyler Gisondo is the true standout of the film as Daniel Plum, also referred to as ‘Decoy Dan.’ Dan, hoping to get credits to become a member of the Screen Actors Guild, is cast as a decoy for “Predator,” pretending to be boys anywhere from 12 to 16 years old.
Dan is caught off guard during his first time as a decoy, but with guidance from Hansen (in a somewhat odd father-son metaphor), he becomes a hero in the eyes of the “Predator” team. Drawing predators out of the dark, Dan is seemingly happy with his role, but still wants to be an actor.
A pivotal moment occurs when Dan, now swept into Hansen’s pristine and righteous personality, tries to ‘become’ Hansen when he doesn’t show up to a sting due to his incessant obsession with The Whale. The scene speaks to Dan becoming the actor he wants to be, even though he fumbles the landing of his monologue.
Though Dan tries to believe in his work, the moment he has to make contact with The Whale, he realizes how he, as a person rather than an actor, has changed. He had put himself into the role as decoy for The Whale rather than the character of Decoy Dan.
The film lets viewers imagine Hansen and the fate of his show in the aftermath of The Whale. While Dan is able to move on, his time on “Predator” haunts him and serves as a failed attempt at becoming a hero rather than just earning an acting credit.
“Primetime” was released in theatres on Sept. 25.
Students who have experienced sexual assault or harassment can seek support through confidential resources such as the University’s Center for Well-Being Programs and Psychological Services, the Student Health Center, the Kay Spiritual Life Center or the following hotlines:
- Collegiate Assistance Program: 1-855-678-8679
- Rape, Abuse, Incest, National Network (RAINN) anonymous chat
- RAINN hotline: 1-800-656-4673
- DC Rape Crisis Center: 202-333-7273
- Network for Victim Recovery of DC (NVRDC): 202-742-1727
This article was edited by Vaughan Noble, Jessica Ackerman and Gabrielle McNamee. Copy editing by Avery Grossman, Arin Burrell, Ryan Sieve, Nicole Kariuki and Mattie Lupo.
