Director: Lance Oppenheim
Starring: Robert Pattinson, Merritt Wever, Skyler Gisondo, Matthew Maher, Phoebe Bridgers
Certificate: 15
Run Time: 109 mins

Primetime is a dramatisation of the production of reality TV show To Catch A Predator, which saw NBC journalist Chris Hansen expose child predators in sting operations, assisted by the vigilante group Perverted-Justice. Once publicly exposed, the police would be waiting to arrest the predator before being prosecuted. Robert Pattinson plays Hansen and this is documentary filmmaker Lance Oppenheim’s first narrative feature film, who also co-directed the upcoming You Can See Everything with Nathan Fielder.

This is an entertaining feature debut from Oppenheim that’s brilliantly directed with its neon-lit striking visuals and sharp pacing. While Robert Pattinson is excellent as the smarmy Hansen and deftly conveys the moral crusader who’ll do anything for high ratings, he felt a little young – Hansen was in his mid-40s when To Catch A Predator began in 2004 and Pattinson has only turned 40 this year. It’s still a fun performance though and one that’s clearly demanded a lot from the actor. Just as impressive are Merritt Wever as Andie Becker, Hansen’s ratings-obsessed producer who’s always chewing gum, and the underrated Matthew Maher as the founder of Perverted-Justice. Bokeem Woodbine is another highlight as a thoroughly Texan police chief. There’s a solid score by Ari Balouzian, with an especially effective string-based theme that’s repeatedly used in several intense moments and the film’s luridly shot by David Bolen.

I just don’t think there’s enough substance here. While the film moves at a brisk pace in its sub two-hour runtime, it never really digs as deep as it should into the characters’ psyches and hints at some interesting themes without ever gets its nails dirty. Oppenheim’s dealing with fascinating subject matter here, but the themes he hones in on are scattershot and underdeveloped. The director certainly gets the tone and visuals right though and it’s a lot of fun, but Primetime doesn’t quite manage to achieve greatness with its shallow delivery.