Robert Pattinson's career has been building toward Primetime, a film that premiered at the Venice Film Festival on Saturday, September 5. In it, he plays real-life paedophile hunter Chris Hansen, a former Dateline NBC correspondent known for To Catch a Predator from 2004 to 2007. The film releases in UK cinemas on October 30, 2026, and in the US on September 25.
Pattinson takes some of the most creative risks of his career, flipping between grounded voice work imitating Hansen and wilder, unpredictable swings. The film drops the audience directly into the scenario Hansen became famous for: confronting a suspected online predator on camera as part of a sting organised by Perverted Justice, lured to a house by an adult posing as a minor.
A Theatrical Entrance and a Freakout Moment
The first sting shows a veteran (Tony Revolori) being confronted after he mentions condoms to decoy Del Harvey (singer Phoebe Bridgers in her debut acting role). Pattinson theatrically enters from behind a curtain, walks down the stairs, and asks if his target has a 'big night planned'. This flamboyance breaks the tension and gives the first big clue that Primetime is not what you might expect.
In another moment, Hansen breaks his stern onscreen character to give an enthusiastic thumbs up to his producer Andie (Merritt Wever) after a predator is tackled by police. The film explores Hansen's showmanship as he becomes more used to being an entertainment star, not just a broadcaster. Writer Ajon Singh, director Lance Oppenheim, and Pattinson (also producing) have fun with this: Hansen tells a fellow plane passenger how he singlehandedly convinced the network to commission the show, and wakes his young sons in the middle of the night to watch preview tapes.
Docufantasia and a Supernatural Turn
There is a Pattinson freakout moment when To Catch a Predator is pitted against Lost in its new slot, making Hansen giddy. Former CEO of NBCU TV Jeff Zucker plays himself in this scene, blurring the line between fiction and reality in a space Oppenheim has dubbed 'docufantasia'. The film's big tonal fluctuations, including an unexpected journey into the supernatural that doesn't quite land, make it harder to pigeonhole.
The emotional heart is introduced by Dan Plum (Skyler Gisondo), a fictionalised decoy looking for his big break. He is given a baptism of fire thanks to Crazyfrog73 (Jonathan Lipnicki from Stuart Little), who drops his trousers to spray whipped cream on his genitals. Hansen is dispatched by Andie to keep Dan in play after his emotional whiplash.
Morality and Grey Areas
The team start looking for a 'whale', someone considered part of the establishment, to sensationalise their coverage and attract higher viewing figures. This drives a wedge between producer Andie and Xavier, founder of Perverted Justice. The film raises questions over To Catch a Predator's morality and grey areas, leaning into humour, some of it pitch dark.
Much of that can be credited to Pattinson's highly charged performance, consistently dialled up to the maximum. The passion for his crusade turns Hansen a little delusional and slightly crazed as the pressure mounts. The film shows Hansen using his full onscreen credit when complaining about a broken vending machine, and a scene with his wife Mary (Anna Faris) may hint at a foot fetish. It also runs with the 2011 tabloid report of his alleged affair with a local TV journalist in Florida.
Despite this, Primetime leaves no doubt how much Hansen's qualities – tenacity, drive and pizazz – fed To Catch a Predator's success. Audacious, imaginative and darkly funny, it is not what was expected. Robert Pattinson in predator-catching mode has to be seen to truly understand how it works so well.
