"Primetime" Examines the Man Behind the Predators in the Best Film of 2026

The world can't seem to agree on a lot these days, but through all of the tireless arguments and debates, one universal truth has always prevailed: don't fuck with kids. It is every parent's worst nightmare finding out that their child is being taken advantage of by someone with sinister intentions. With the rise of the internet in the 2000's, that threat became 10 times more credible. When paranoia was at an all time high, Dateline NBC saw a golden opportunity for their latest series, To Catch a Predator, a program that put society's greatest enemy under a microscope, exposing the world to a timeless evil. But despite the show's impact and success, it was not without its controversy, especially surrounding the show's untimely cancellation. This weekend, A24 released one of the year's most anticipated release, Primetime, a film that holds a mirror up to the makers of the show and the ones who consumed it in what I consider one of the best films of the decade.

Primetime is the debut narrative feature by documentarian, Lance Oppenheim. It is a crime thriller surrounding that follows Chris Hansen, the host of To Catch A Predator when his humble show was promoted to a primetime TV slot. It is based on the 2007 Esquire article, Tonight on Dateline, This Man Will Die by Luke Dittrich, which recounted the shocking reason why one of America's most popular shows came to a screeching halt. On November 5th, 2006, the team at Dateline NBC caught their biggest predator yet, Dallas Assistant District Attorney, Bill Conradt. When the show's team arrived at his home to apprehend, Conradt, he fatally shot himself. Oppenheim's Primetime examines three sides of the show, the producer, the decoy, and the host and how the show's unique success contributed to some very heavy consciences. It is led by Robert Pattinson as Hansen while also starring the talents of Merritt Weaver, Skyler Gisondo, and Phoebe Bridgers. Ari Aster and Lars Knudsen served as the film's producers.

Considering the current state of America, it's hard to remember a time where accusations of pedophilia could actually ruin a man's career, but twenty years ago, they marked a concrete end to one's personal and professional life. Primetime as a film is holding a mirror up to not only the personnel behind To Catch a Predator, but society as a whole for tuning into a show with such a dark subject matter. By the time the credits rolled my jaw was on the floor and I was convinced I had just seen my favorite film of 2026.

Something all film critics and audiences can seem to agree on is that the strongest aspect of Primetime are the cast performances. Skyler Gisondo breathes life into Decoy Dan, a struggling wannabe actor with big dreams, dealing with his big break being a gig that puts him face to face with dangerous criminals. In addition to the working conditions, his biggest foe yet is the internal battle he faces with the fact that this unorthodox gig will likely have him blacklisted for any legitimate acting jobs going forward. The perspective of the decoy is something seldom explored in TCAP retrospectives or those who watch the show, but Primetime does it masterfully. It is quite possibly Gisondo's best performance to date. On a much smaller scale, Phoebe Bridgers brings a surprising amount of skill and tact to her acting debut as the female decoy.

Merritt Weaver gives a career high performance as TCAP's producer, Andie Bender, who works overtime to keep the show afloat after being thrust into the primetime spotlight. Weaver's dedication to the role is comparable to Bender's dedication to the show's success and her composure against the chaos is truly mesmerizing to watch. The best way I can describe her is "delightfully despicable."

But the crown jewel of Primetime is Robert Pattinson's performance as Chris Hansen. Hansen, himself had no involvement in the making of the film. In fact, he has been working overtime these past few weeks to dissuade audiences from seeing the movie, reminding them that it is a work of fiction...but is it? Primetime has a very clear message when it comes to Chris Hansen, he wanted to be a star. This is driven home by his constant self comparison to legendary journalist, Stone Phillips and the scenes of him repeating the chat log to himself as if they were lines in a Shakespearean play. In a way Chris Hansen had the perfect deal, he got to appear as a beacon of morality on a giant platform that intentionally or not, made him a household name. It is a uniquely scathing critique that is presented in a way that's both subtle yet impossible to miss. There are some moments where Pattinson's voice is indistinguishable from the man he's portraying. He has Hansen's mannerisms and speech patterns down pat but a shocking amount of his performance is dedicated to quiet, unspoken moments where Hansen is alone with his own thoughts. He has to maintain the show's serious subject matter and tone all while fighting his inner desires to become a star like Stone Phillips. Primetime has easily one of the most spellbinding scripts I have ever read. Every single line is packed with intention and hidden meaning, Pattinson absolutely did the script justice. I have not been this utterly blown away by a performance in a long time. Watch out Matt Damon, you've got competition this Oscar's season.

What sets Primetime apart from the rest is its signature visual style of bright vibrant colors, fuzzy camera quality, and unique visual language that make it truly one of a kind. Cinematographer David Bolen turns in some career-defining work that's near impossible to take your eyes off of. Special praise is in order for the film's colorist, Damien Vandercruyssen whose contributions cannot be overstated.

As someone who grew up watching To Catch a Predator, Lance Oppenheim's Primetime was one of my most anticipated releases of 2026. Expectations were high, but nothing could've prepared me for how much this film blew me away in every sense of the word. By not seeing this film you are legitimately doing yourself a disservice. This weekend, go to your local cinema, and why don't you have a seat?