In Primetime, Robert Pattinson stares intensely into the camera, unblinded by a neon glare, wondering—no, searching—for deeper meaning in his portrayal of To Catch a Predator host Chris Hansen. As far as I can tell, he doesn’t find it..
A stylish drama about flawed characters doing flawed things, Primetime is in itself flawed: flashy yet forgettable, an edgy-esque exposé that unfortunately lacks substance. Entertainment gives way to vapidness, a nice-looking film without merit or purpose.
What drew director Lance Oppenheim to this particular depiction of Chris Hansen escapes me, as does the real intent of Primetime. The movie asks the question, “At what cost is entertainment and fame no longer worth it?” but its answers come in the form of the actors, notably Patterson and Skyler Gisondo, doing their best to look like they are holding in a turd that is already turtle-heading. Neither Patterson’s portrayal of morally questionable Hansen nor Gisondo’s of a young actor seeking his big break are particularly compelling–because the screenplay by Akon Singh gives them very little to work with. Merritt Wever too is left with little to do other than look anxious.
The real Chris Hansen has been raising a stink about what he must consider a “hit piece” film, but his angst is misplaced: Primetime is so stylish and so shallow it would be impossible to think that this movie accurately or realistically depicts anyone in a factual way.
The movie works best as an off kilter comedy, when Oppenheim and Singh lean into the dark ridiculousness of their story and its characters. It is darkly funny, though the humor is dry and weird enough to likely go over many people’s heads. The problem is that Primetime is not actually a comedy, nor does Oppenheim direct it as one; the humor is intentional, but it’s a side effect of something grimmer and less effective.
By the end, the picture is simply tedious, so enthralled with its own glam (and is this how the early ‘00s were? The movie looks like it’s more out of the 1980s) that it has lost sight of the bigger picture. Whatever that may be.
Entertaining until it isn’t, Primetime is not without its merits, but there’s not nearly as much to sink your teeth into here as the filmmakers seem to think there is.
Review by Erik Samdahl. Erik is a marketing and technology executive by day, avid movie lover by night. He is a member of the Seattle Film Critics Society.