Starring an unhinged Robert Pattinson, the drama “Primetime” exposes the ickiness and discomfiting qualities of reality TV.
Before true-crime docuseries were a thing, journalist Chris Hansen notched his own brand of justice with sting operations designed to trap pedophiles and child predators. Director Lance Oppenheim’s “Primetime” (★★★ out of four; rated R; in theaters Sept. 25), inspired by real events, turns all that into a darkly funny kaleidoscopic fever dream. And Pattinson gives one of his more unnerving performances as a dramatized, out-there version of Hansen who seems creepier than the creeps he busts.
After seeing "Primetime," it's understandable why the actual Hansen is less than thrilled.
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The movie is set in 2006, when Hansen’s “To Catch a Predator” segments on “Dateline NBC” prove so popular that they get turned into a prime-time show that goes up against “Lost” in the ratings. Success doesn’t exactly equal satisfaction for Hansen, however: He looks upon anchor Stone Phillips with envy and is determined to gain a certain level of infamy, making the most of every suave entrance to take down a target the team lures in via AOL Messenger.
Hansen gives off an air of brash confidence, though a haunted aura is apparent, too: He talks of his work as “cleansing the world of an ancient evil," plus is haunted by a literal monster who moves in the shadows. (This disconcerting figure, like a lot of the movie, is open to interpretation.) Hansen is also obsessed with taking down a “whale,” in this case a powerful government type in Texas, though his ego and gonzo personality blur a fine line between good and not so much.
While “Primetime” works better as a disturbing character study than conventional narrative, it lets Pattinson immerse himself in the visual insanity. His mannerisms are over the top, his overall being leans performative, on screen and off, and Pattinson is extremely watchable as the eye of a particularly weird cultural storm. (And if you enjoyed his viral “beggars” line from “The Odyssey,” just wait until he over-pronounces the word “lubricant” repeatedly.)
The story is further enriched by the characters around Hansen, who are better at seeing the moral dilemmas their show causes. Lead producer Andie Bender (Merritt Wever) worries about what’s happening in real time, yet is also drawn to the news program’s trainwreck nature – much like its audience. Daniel Plum (Skyler Gisondo) is one of the “decoys” used to play a teen who draws in pedophiles, and although he takes the gig as one step to becoming a great actor, even he yearns to be like Hansen in his own odd way.
The movie makes the point well that even a grounded sense of ethical judgement can be corrupted by a quest for fame. "I'm not a bad person," "Decoy Dan" pleads to Hansen on one scene, trying to convince himself as much as his boss.
Wever and especially the up-and-coming Gisondo really spark off Pattinson amid a top-notch supporting cast. Musician Phoebe Bridgers plays an androgynous female decoy named Del, and Alex Winter (of “Bill and Ted” fame) is almost unrecognizable in an unsettling cameo.
“Primetime” goes a smidge too hard on the style, but it works as a wild and intriguing peek at a piece of media that helped shape today's love-it-or-hate-it viewing habits. Pattinson's splendidly transfixing portrayal of a well-known TV personality fuels this smart tale of how trying to do right can end up going very wrong.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Robert Pattinson is an unhinged delight in gonzo 'Primetime' – Review
