Directed by Lance Oppenheim (You Can See everything (2026); Some Kind of Heaven (2020)) and starring Robert Pattinson (Twilight (2008); The Batman (2022); The Odyssey (2026); The Lighthouse (2019)), Merritt Wever (Birdman (2014); Michael Clayton (2007); Nurse Jackie (tv series, 2009-15)), Skyler Gisondo (The Social Dilemma (2020); Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (2014); Vacation (2015)) and Matthew Maher (Gone Baby Gone (2007); Captain Marvel (2019)).
Drama; 109 mins; 12+
Set 20 years ago in 2006, Primetime is a film about an American reality television series, "To Catch a Predator", with its host Chris Hansen being driven to attract top ratings and secure a Primetime slot.
Helped by a large team led by producer Andie Bender (Merritt Wever), they go after men they trap in sting operations when they arrive at a house with the intention of having sex with a minor.
The "minors" are in fact adult actors impersonating underage persons in online chats (in this case actioned by Xavier Von Erck (Matthew Maher)), and the men are typically arrested as a result after being caught by being filmed with a hidden camera and then confronted by the host Chris Hansen, with a crew of cameras, etc., before being arrested by police officers.
Robert Pattinson plays Chris Hansen and portrays him as driven to achieve success on television and the fear of failure, risking his family in the process. One of the adults playing a minor, Dan Plum (Skyler Gisondo), is a struggling young actor who attends many auditions but rarely gets a part, and years for his official Equity card.
The cinematography editing involved graining the image to make it look as if it was actually filmed in that era, and the colour palette is drab too, with the interior decoration of houses used (they mainly used kitchens, not bedrooms) captureing the mid-2000s aesthetic typical of that era.
The film provokes the audience to think about the moral balance between justice and entertainment.
Primetime is currently screening in Luxembourg at Ciné Utopia and CiNextDoor cinema.
