Primetime

A film about the pursuit of predators—and higher ratings.

In 2006, presenter Chris Hansen was one of the most familiar faces on American television. With the reality series «To Catch a Predator», he had found a concept that drew millions of viewers: men seeking sexual encounters with minors online were lured to a house rigged with hidden cameras, where Hansen confronted them in front of TV audiences before the police took over. The programme became a huge success, and Hansen got a taste for both ratings and fame. And the bigger the programme grew, the blurrier the lines became between journalism, public service and entertainment.

Documentary filmmaker Lance Oppenheim (the HBO series «Ren Faire») makes his feature-film directorial debut with a gripping drama based on the true story of Hansen and «To Catch a Predator». Robert Pattinson gives a formidable performance as the predator hunter, convinced he is doing the right thing, even as his personal ambitions grow alongside the ratings. PRIMETIME is an intense film about what happens when journalism becomes sensationalism and public shaming becomes entertainment.

Review courtesy of Bergen International Film Festival (https://www.biff.no/f/primetime/5971)