Primetime (MA) – 110 minutes – movie review

When does television cross the line? That is the central question raised in the hallucinogenic first narrative feature for acclaimed documentary filmmaker Lance Oppenheimer. The focus is on the real life “gotcha” NBC TV reality program To Catch A Predator, which ran from November 2004 to December 2007. Its host was ambitious Chris Hansen, a lifelong newsman and fan of old-school anchors such as Stone Phillips, then the most popular figure at NBC.

To Catch A Predator began as a recurring segment on the news magazine program Dateline NBC, before being spun off as its own series. It involved undercover sting operations conducted across the United States in conjunction with watchdog group Perverted-Justice. The idea was to expose adults looking for sex with underage victims.

With that in mind, the program employed decoys posing as children, luring sexual predators in front of hidden cameras, before the host stepped in. Also, ready to pounce, immediately outside … the police. As the program caught on, it was programmed against a top-rating show on another network, namely Lost. The high-stakes operation that was To Catch A Predator was forever looking for bigger targets, until it zoned in on a Texas assistant district attorney.

Primetime primarily concentrates on three people. There is Hansen, as strongly portrayed as womanising, ego driven and self-centred by Robert Pattinson. He plays Hansen as the epitome of gonzo journalism – first-person style reporting, in which he becomes the central protagonist, rather than a detached observer.

Primetime introduces a fictional producer of the program named Andie Bender – an impressive, natural performance by Merritt Wever. Bender is in a difficult position as Hansen becomes increasingly wayward and she begins to question the cost of being involved in the show.

Into the mix steps a character known as Decoy Dan, who is keen to obtain his union card as an actor, but has so far only been cast in commercials. Suddenly, Dan Plum (another fictionalised name, constructed from composite characterisation) is auditioned for a mysterious role of an adult playing a child. Of course, that comes with a requisite high-pitched voice. Skyler Gisondo approaches that part determined to do it well, but with a deliberate tentativeness about what he is walking into. He is constantly being talked around by Hansen.

There are a couple of other important characters in play too. One is Xavier Von Erck, the operative behind Perverted-Justice, who lures unsuspecting sexual predators into ambushes. He is played in dishevelled fashion by Matthew Maher.

And, finally, another seasoned decoy is a female who can also readily pass as a baseball cap wearing younger male. Del Harvey (the first principal feature role for indie folk singer/songwriter Phoebe Bridgers) becomes disillusioned with Hansen as the show becomes a ratings hit. Again, I was convinced by Harvey’s acting chops.

Writer Ajon Singh has crafted quite a story. It is based on a 2007 Luke Dittrich investigative feature in Esquire magazine titled “Tonight on Dateline This Man Will Die”. Complete with grainy footage, representative of the hidden camera videos being shot, Primetime comes together as a media collage. I speak of a collection of moments that shine a light on the motivation and pressures apparent on each of the key players.

While concentration is essential, I found it a compelling and distressing film, well pieced together by Lance Oppenheimer. There is something decidedly dirty about what is going down in more ways the one, and that is the whole point. Ethics and morality are not just about the sexual predators (as heinous as they are) … and crossing the line in reality television continues to this day. Think about the police investigation underway into Married at First Sight in the UK and allegations raised in our domestic version, the most popular show on TV.

Independent in style, Primetime has much going for it and scores an 8 out of 10.

Alex First