Robert Pattinson has been celebrated in recent years for the breadth and daring of his films and acting – but even still, Primetime takes it to the next level.

Playing real-life paedophile hunter Chris Hansen, a former Dateline NBC correspondent who broke through into primetime schedules (hence the film’s name) from 2004 to 2007 with his To Catch a Predator show, Pattinson takes perhaps the most creative risks of his career so far, flipping between a performance grounded in remarkable voice work as he imitates Hansen – already a popular meme – and wilder, unpredictable swings.

He’s never been so free on screen, something you can’t help but admire, and in a sense it feels like Pattinson – surely soon to be an Oscar nominee, if voters can get behind such an uncategorisable turn – has been building to this kind of performance his whole career.

Rather than rush through a potted biography, Primetime drops the audience directly into the scenario Hansen became so famous for – preparing to confront a suspected online predator on camera as part of a sting organised by the organisation Perverted Justice, lured to the house by an adult posing as a minor.

It’s unsettling from the start as we hear Pattinson’s Hansen practising his line delivery of the suspected paedophile’s quotes: ‘I will undress you and you will undress me’, ‘For a virgin to have sex, it hurts.’

This first sting shows a veteran (Tony Revolori) being confronted as soon as he mentions condoms to decoy Del Harvey (singer Phoebe Bridgers in her debut acting role) by Hansen. Pattinson theatrically enters from behind a curtain and walks down the stairs, asking if his target has a ‘big night planned’? This flamboyance breaks the tension and gives the first big clue that Primetime perhaps isn’t what you expected.

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The second is Hansen breaking his stern onscreen character for a moment to give an enthusiastic thumbs up back to his producer Andie (Merritt Weaver) after the predator is tackled by police outside.

While the film is dealing with the very dark material of the programme, it also gets stuck into exploring the showmanship of Hansen as he becomes more and more used to being an entertainment star, not just a broadcaster, and as the reputation of To Catch a Predator grows.

Writer Ajon Singh, director Lance Oppenheim and Pattinson (also producing) have fun with this – Hansen is pleased to tell his fellow plane passenger all about how he singlehandedly convinced the network to commission the show, while he also wakes up his young sons in the middle of the night to watch preview tapes.

We’re also treated to a wonderful Pattinson freakout moment when How to Catch a Predator is pitted against Lost as it moves to its coveted new slot, making Hansen giddy with excitement.

Primetime: Key details

Director

Lance Oppenheim

Writer

Ajon Singh

Cast

Robert Pattinson, Merritt Wever, Skyler Gisondo, Phoebe Bridgers, Matthew Maher, Bokeem Woodbine, Anna Faris, Alex Winter, Tony Revolori, Jonathan Lipnicki

Age rating

TBC

Run time

1hr 50m

Release date

Primetime will release in UK cinemas on October 30. It comes out in the US on September 25.

In fact it’s former CEO of NBCU TV Jeff Zucker playing himself in this scene, another move blurring the line between fiction and reality in Primetime, which operates in a space Oppenheim has dubbed ‘docufantasia’. The movie’s big tonal fluctuations  – including an unexpected journey into the supernatural which doesn’t quite land for me, also make it harder to pigeonhole.

The emotional heart of the film is introduced by Dan Plum (Skyler Gisondo), a fictionalised decoy looking for his big break and not fully aware of what he’s signed up to until he’s thrust on set for a sting – and given a baptism of fire thanks to Crazyfrog73 (played by former child star Jonathan Lipnicki from Stuart Little), who drops his trousers to spray whipped cream on his genitals. Hansen is then dispatched by Andie to keep Dan in play after his emotional whiplash to how things unfolded.

However, with a great primetime slot comes great responsibility as the team start looking for a ‘whale’, someone considered part of the establishment, to sensationalise their coverage and attract higher viewing figures. But it drives more of a wedge between producer Andie and Xavier, founder of Perverted Justice.

Primetime raises questions over To Catch a Predator’s morality and grey areas, and leans into humour, some of it pitch dark, and far more than I anticipated given its topic. A lot of that can be credited to Pattinson’s highly charged performance, consistently dialled up to the maximum. The passion for his crusade turns Hansen a little delusional and slightly crazed as the pressure mounts; you can’t tear your eyes away from it.

I’m not sure it’s the most flattering portrayal of the journalist – who has already criticised the production – as he’s shown using his full onscreen credit when complaining about a broken vending machine. Meanwhile, a scene with his wife Mary (Anna Faris) may just hint, ever so slightly, at a foot fetish. The film also runs with the 2011 tabloid report of his alleged affair with a local TV journalist in Florida.

Having said this, the Primetime leaves you in no doubt just how much Hansen’s qualities – tenacity, drive and pizazz – all fed To Catch a Predator’s success.

Verdict

Audacious, imaginative and darkly funny, Primetime is not what I expected at all. And Robert Pattinson in predator-catching mode has to be seen to truly understand how it can work so well.

Primetime premiered at the Venice Film Festival on Saturday, September 5. It releases in UK cinemas on October 30, 2026.

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