Our review: Robert Pattinson plays Chris Hansen as the one doing the stalking in A24's Primetime — and the second act is where it sags
Think you know To Catch a Predator? A24’s Primetime reframes Chris Hansen’s world as a stylised, unsettling character study — with Robert Pattinson stepping into the hot seat.
If you thought To Catch a Predator was already theatrical, wait until you see what Lance Oppenheim has done with its story in Primetime. We all know the infamous sting operation reality series from the mid-2000s, but Oppenheim is less interested in a straightforward retelling and far more fascinated by the weird, artificial world behind the TV studio lights. Instead of merely recreating Chris Hansen's big moments, he's crafted a film that's halfway between a fever dream and a psychological horror, with the kind of direction that makes you wonder if you're watching a documentary or the next A24 thriller—which, technically, you are.
Primetime takes the true story of Chris Hansen and To Catch a Predator and turns it into a deeply stylized, often unsettling examination of the man behind one of the most recognizable television franchises of the mid-2000s.
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What Oppenheim Is Doing Here
Set bang in the mid-2000s, Primetime nails the look and feel of that peak-cable era—deliberately fake, purposefully TV-like, almost as if reality itself is being filmed in a light that's always just a bit too harsh. And honestly, some of the best sequences are those uncanny remakes of the predator stings. Robert Pattinson as Chris Hansen emerges from the shadows like he’s the villain and, in a neat bit of visual irony, Oppenheim shoots him almost as if he's the one doing the stalking. The predators still get caught out, but the point is, who's really doing the hunting on TV?
Pattinson’s on an absolute tear here—off the back of The Drama and The Odyssey, he now transforms so thoroughly into Hansen that, at times, you forget who you're actually watching. It’s not just the mannerisms—it’s the voice, the rhythm, the slightly too-smooth delivery that made the real Chris Hansen simultaneously iconic and a bit unsettling. Watch him in the recreated segments, and for a second, you’d swear he was just dubbed over with old NBC recordings.
It’s Not Just the Hansen Show
Unlike standard hagiographies, Primetime throws in a clever second point of view: Daniel, played by Skyler Gisondo. Daniel, not really understanding what he’s in for, gets roped into playing the child decoy online—literally pretending to be a 13-year-old to lure grown men into the infamous sting house. More than just a ploy for audience sympathy, his perspective opens up the mechanics of the operation. What is it like, really, to play a supporting part in this weird blend of law enforcement and reality TV spectacle?
Robert Pattinson's Chris Hansen appearing almost like a movie villain waiting patiently in the shadows before suddenly emerging to confront his target. There is an intentional irony to this imagery because Hansen is essentially being framed like a predator himself, stalking his prey before revealing himself. Except, of course, the people he is hunting are the actual predators.
- Pattinson disappears into the Hansen role, especially vocally—the voice and cadence are pitch-perfect.
- Skyler Gisondo's 'Daniel' brings in a fresh, nervous energy and a grounding sense of confusion about what's going on.
- Oppenheim’s visual style leans way into close-ups, harsh saturated colours, and that queasy, too-close-for-comfort vibe.
- The film juggles perspectives, sometimes unsteadily, never quite sure whether it’s more interested in Hansen or Daniel's arc—but both are compelling.
The film doesn’t pretend Hansen’s project wasn't occasionally murky. There’s a tension at the heart of Primetime—exposing predators is obviously worthwhile, but was the original show journalism or pure entertainment? Unsurprisingly, the film refuses to hand out easy answers. Pattinson’s Hansen sometimes comes off as a man with a hero complex, captivated by being 'the guy' on TV who exposes monsters, but the story never quite tips into outright condemnation or hagiography.
Where Primetime really shines though, is in Oppenheim’s visual confidence. He’s made a true-story drama that looks and feels like a horror—expressionistic lighting, extreme close-ups, the lingering suggestion that the people on screen are trapped inside television itself. The whole thing is bristling with artifice, which, let’s be honest, pretty much sums up To Catch a Predator to start with.
Now, not everything is perfect—the middle act slows down as the story threatens to loop back on itself and the dual perspectives can make the whole thing feel a bit scattered. But it’s never boring, and the performances—especially Pattinson's—are so strong that you keep watching even when the tension wanes.
Primetime is fascinated by the contradictions at the core of its true story—what happens when something genuinely moral is turned into a ritual for network television, and who, out of all these people, is really on display for the audience? It’s uncomfortable, odd, and very much worth a look if you want something stranger than your usual true crime fare.
The film's second act falters, losing momentum even as the story gets supposedly more dangerous—the stakes don't always land as intended.