What To Know
- Chris Hansen criticized A24’s film Primetime for its fictionalized portrayal of his work.
- He expressed disappointment that the filmmakers did not consult or involve him.
- Hansen described the film as detached from reality.
Chris Hansen has seen Primetime, and he has some thoughts.
Former To Catch a Predator host Chris Hansen called out A24’s Primetime, which stars Robert Pattinson as a fictionalized version of Hansen, arguing that the film distorts his real-life investigations into an overly dramatic, horror-like psychological spiral. He was also critical of the studio for not consulting or involving him in the production.
Hansen watched Primetime in a packed Times Square theater without anyone realizing he was there. Afterward, he teased his reaction in a post on X (formerly Twitter): “Well….I saw Primetime. My reaction tonight 7p Eastern on my podcast/YouTube channel Have A Seat With Chris Hansen!”
Well….I saw Primetime. My reaction tonight 7p eastern on my podcast/YouTube channel Have A Seat With Chris Hansen ! pic.twitter.com/dMEErgVriH
— Chris Hansen (@chrishansen) September 25, 2026
In a video posted to X on September 25, Hansen went into more detail, arguing that the film bore little resemblance to reality. “It was so bizarre, and so in and out of reality,” Hansen said. “Obviously, I’m not objective because the character is, you know, me, but it was so detached from reality or anything I’ve ever experienced then or now doing the investigations.”
Joined by Fox News host Jesse Watters, Hansen took to his Have a Seat With Chris Hansen podcast to air his grievances about the film.
Hansen said he had heard that director Lance Oppenheim intended Primetime to be something of a love letter to him and To Catch a Predator. His response? “If this is a love letter, I would hate to get a poison pen letter.”
After speaking with moviegoers, Hansen addressed viewers directly.
“I grant you, I’m not the most objective reviewer of this movie since A24 made it without my consult and consideration, and they use my name, image, and likeness,” he said. “I can tell you that most of it is pure fiction. They mix in some reality here and there. At the end of the day, I wasn’t blown away by it. Either way, it’s a movie. And I’ll continue to do the work I do, and people can watch the movie and make up their own minds.”
Back in the studio with Watters, Hansen called the film “so overly dramatized” and “detached from reality,” adding that it was “so far from reality that it wouldn’t even bother me.”
“In a way it is a hit piece on me and the series, which is weird because all we do is expose bad human beings who try to hurt children,” he continued. “So in that respect, it’s sort of an insult to the thousands of men and women who go out every day to do the same thing that I try to do in Takedown and did in To Catch a Predator.”
Hansen added, “It’s so far over the top that it’s hard to come to grips with what they are trying to do here.”
In his final remarks, Hansen stated: “If you’re a fan of A24, a fan of Robert Pattinson, make up your own mind. Go see it. But realize when you do go see it, it is absolutely a fictional portrayal of me, my colleagues, the series, and of the very hard, diligent enterprise work that we did then and do now.”
Hansen previously declined a private screening of Primetime, saying A24 required him to sign a “very restrictive agreement” barring legal action against the studio.
Primetime, In Theaters