To Catch a Predator fast became a television phenomenon in the early 2000s. The show sparked memes and much debate while shooting to the top of the Nielsen ratings, leaving an indelible mark on American culture. But, was the effect that it had more sinister than it appeared in retrospect, especially considering how it al came to a close? Primetime takes us back to 2006 as news journalist Chris Hansen (Robert Pattinson) shoots to stardom with his reality TV sex sting show.
The easy parallel to make with Primetime is that of 2014’s Nightcrawler, the Dan Gilroy’s thriller starring Jake Gyllenhaal that explored the limits of ethics when they crash up against ambition. And while Primetime is certainly making a statement about the lengths people will go to in service of their own ambitions, where it differs from the pre-release comparison that many made is how it also explores our specific modern era of exploitation as entertainment and the seeming bloodlust for harm and destruction of others that had come to define post-9/11 America.
As Hansen and company go about building To Catch a Predator into the primetime juggernaut that it became, playing in the background is news coverage of the Iraq War and subsequent capture and execution of the country’s dictator Saddam Hussein. The backdrop of the War on Terror works to highlight the main story of the film as the team behind the show works to seek out and put a spotlight on more salacious targets for their predator operations in order to feed the masses the dysfunction and life destroying content they crave, even at the expense of their own workers. Both the war launched in the desire for revenge for the worst terror attack in American history and the desire to see men humiliated for the nation to laugh at are posited as coming from the same place in the nation’s spirit with the same disastrous ending we now know both To Catch a Predator and the Iraq War came to have. The lust to see others destroyed, even those who are detestable, comes from a dark place that will only eventually consume all who participate, as we see happen with Hansen, his producer Andie Bender (Merritt Wever), and the aspiring actor turned operation decoy they hired named Dan Plumb (Skyler Gisondo). Even though on some level the targets may deserve punishment, the commodification of consequences into a spectacle for people to revel in for cruelty’s sake moves the practice past justice into something just slightly better than the behavior being punished in the first place. Primetime critiques this nuance and highlights the monstrosity of those that present their participation in this as altruistic even if it’s at its core being done for their own gratification and self-indulgence not just through Hansen, but all involved.
Dan and Andie’s arcs specifically serve to highlight the soul coarsening effect of participating in the spectacle had as both have their moments of doubt in continuing on while diverging during the film’s climax when it finally comes time to choose whether or not to continue participating. Gisondo and Wever both superbly display the crisis of conscience in weighing one’s complicity in ruining people’s lives and what continuing to do so in order to satisfy your ambitions or walking away in order to preserve your morals both look like. The coldness involved in overlooking your initial reservations and the courage in standing up and saying no are portrayed convincingly at times by both actors in performances that make an impact. Pattinson of course also shines as Hansen, displaying his insecurities that powered his desire for success and the willingness to do anything to get it. He plays the famed host with an underlying creepiness and manipulation that truly imbues him with a bit of the sensibility of a horror character as well. Hansen’s descent into madness under the pressure to continue to feed the circus he created serves as the main examination of the film’s theme and his performance strengthens the point.
Primetime is a timely critique of our modern day culture both interpersonally and in the entertainment space. America’s love of reality theater and harm, both reputational and otherwise, are put under the spotlight for examination and reflection. Robert Pattinson is joined by Skyler Gisondo and Merritt Wever for top notch performances that display the coarsening of one’s soul when success is pursued at any cost, including the lives of others. Lance Oppenheim does well in the director’s chair of not just telling this story, but shooting it alongside director of photography David Bolen, using light and shadow to set an ominous tone and mood to match the narrative style of the film. One of the best examples is a shot of Hansen, standing in the light offered by the large windows of a house while a man who was set up for a sting is enveloped by the shadow and darkness of the other half of the room, on his knees in tears at Hansen’s feet and begging for forgiveness. The visual establishes clear religious undertones setting up Hansen’s ensuing megalomania and is frankly just cool to look at. While it may not be a repeating viewing type of film, the message it sends in the moment makes Primetime a film of pretty decent quality for at least one watch.
Image: A24
