Primetime

Using undercover decoys posing as children online, the production would arrange meetings with suspected predators before confronting them on camera, often with police waiting to make arrests. The resulting footage became infamous, with Hansen’s now-iconic questioning and the uncomfortable spectacle of adults attempting to explain their actions becoming a defining feature of reality television.

But beneath the viral moments and public humiliation was a more complicated ethical question. Where does the pursuit of justice end and the exploitation of human behaviour for entertainment begin? Is the exposure of predators an unquestionably noble endeavour, or does the machinery of television turn even the most righteous cause into a commercial spectacle? Primetime explores these tensions through a partially fictionalised examination of the people behind the cameras and those caught in front of them.

Set in the early 2000s, Primetime follows Chris Hansen (Robert Pattinson), portrayed as an ambitious television journalist whose undercover operation seeks to expose men attempting to exploit children online. Among those involved in the operation are baby-faced Dan Plum (Skyler Gisondo), who becomes increasingly entangled in the operation as the boundaries between his own identity and the role he has been assigned begin to blur, and producer Andie Bender (Merritt Wever), whose desire for ratings and views forces her to indulge Hansen’s increasingly volatile ambitions.

As their operations gain momentum, the consequences of all their actions become increasingly difficult to ignore, and what began as an apparently straightforward pursuit of justice develops into a morally complicated examination of deception, complicity and the psychological cost of turning human wrongdoing into televised entertainment.

When the pursuit of justice becomes entertainment

You don’t have to have watched an episode of To Catch a Predator to understand the argument that, in exposing those exploiting others, Hansen and his team risked becoming predators of their own, engaging in a different form of exploitation.

Additionally, it would be truly difficult to quantify just how much safer Hansen has made children worldwide through his pursuit of paedophiles, but whether moral hero or reality television schlock producer, his commitment is truly hypnotic. And Robert Pattinson captures his very essence, from his vocal cadence to his stance and mannerisms, delivering a haunting performance of a man driven by a desire to be recognised, known and heralded the world over.

However, as Lance Oppenheim’s voyeuristic exploration progresses, this story becomes less Hansen’s and more Dan Plum’s, with Skyler Gisondo taking increasing centrality in a compelling performance that authentically captures the moral conflict at the core of being used to deceive those trained in dangerous deceit. His growing discomfort, mixed with a desire for recognition, provides the film with its emotional anchor, exposing the human cost of an operation that otherwise risks reducing everyone involved to their usefulness on camera.

An uncomfortable and compelling cinematic experience

Oppenheim’s visual palette is beautifully gritty, with blown-out lighting, grimy shadows and period-accurate film grain evoking the aesthetic of a classic static-box television. The cinematography feels deliberately intrusive, as though the audience itself is participating in the voyeurism being examined.

The editing is sharp, the direction assured, the performances captivating and the screenplay striking in its willingness to lay all the perversion bare. Whilst certainly not a film for the faint of heart, with disturbing subject matter being exposed, the film itself threads the line between exploitation and entertainment.

An uncomfortably excellent exposé, Primetime is a voyeuristic, grimy and fascinating examination of the pursuit of predators and their becoming prey in the unrelenting hunt of Chris Hansen. Robert Pattinson is phenomenal in a haunting exploration of exploitation and entertainment, blurring the lines between moral responsibility, public spectacle and the pursuit of justice.

REEL DIALOGUE: The Pursuit of Justice

There is something inherently complicated about the pursuit of justice. We rightly desire accountability for those who exploit, abuse and prey upon the vulnerable, and there is a place for exposing wrongdoing and ensuring perpetrators face the consequences of their actions.

However, the pursuit of justice must itself be just. We cannot simply excuse questionable methods because we believe the ends are righteous. Nor should the humiliation of another human being become entertainment, even when their actions are abhorrent.

Christianity reminds us that God is ultimately the final judge and that perfect justice belongs to Him. Romans 12:19 cautions against taking vengeance into our own hands, while Romans 13 recognises the legitimate role of governing authorities in maintaining justice and punishing wrongdoing.

These truths exist in tension with our responsibility to protect the vulnerable, speak against injustice and pursue accountability. Grace does not mean the absence of consequences, and forgiveness does not negate the need for justice.

Perhaps the most confronting question Primetime raises is not whether predators should be exposed, but whether our desire to see them exposed can become something equally exploitative.

Are we pursuing justice for the sake of those who have been harmed, or are we simply enjoying the spectacle of someone else’s downfall?

There is a difference between holding people accountable and turning their humiliation into a product. And it is a distinction worth considering, particularly when the vulnerable are the very people we claim to be protecting.

“And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” — Micah 6:8

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