To Catch or Not to Catch? That is the question in Lance Oppenheim’s “Primetime”, a grotesque commentary on the dangers of media sensationalism and the blurry line between exposing and encouraging evil. The movie was released on Sept. 25 and starred Robert Pattinson as NBC anchor Chris Hansen. The movie details the production of “To Catch a Predator,” investigating the show’s creation from start to finish, and more importantly, what happens when the pursuit of justice is transformed into entertainment.
At first, “Primetime” is a straightforward thriller about catching child predators. The show collaborates with local law enforcement and works with heavily scripted “decoys” — members of Hansen’s cast who pose as minors online — to lure predators into houses filled with hidden cameras. Once they arrive, Hansen confronts them with transcripts of their chats with the decoy minor, to which the predators cower in fear, humiliated. Outside waiting are the police, who perform an arrest right away and deliver the predator to justice.
On paper, it is easy to see the appeal: dangerous people are being exposed and ideally, stopped. It fulfills the deep sense of morality humans have of right and wrong.
But the movie quickly makes me question whether exposing someone is still justice when the primary goal of the show is no longer solely to deliver predators to law enforcement, but to target those who will generate the best television reviews. The question is especially relevant when one considers that people being targeted have not necessarily committed a crime. Yes, they’ve had disturbing intentions, but intentions alone are not enough to prosecute someone.
Later, the show turns morally complicated, and these people turn into a television narrative: predator enters house, Hansen confronts, audience watches the predator squirm — “zoom in on his face … the [predators’] noses flare when I come out” — and everyone goes home feeling that justice has been served.
However, more than Hansen and his production team, I found Dan Plum to be the most interesting character. Played by Skyler Gisondo, Plum is a 23-year-old actor who joins production whose dream it is to “make it big.” He is nervous and morally uncertain about impersonating a minor, especially when he encounters the disturbing men the show has lured in.
But, fueled by Hansen’s approval, his discomfort disappears. He cares a lot about impressing Hansen and producer Andie Bender — more than about whether what he is doing is right.
“[What Plum experiences is] like exposure therapy,” said senior Sristi Sharma. “The more you see [violence and corruption], the less … you feel.”
This transition was the most impactful to me and connects to the movie’s larger idea that evil can spread from person to person. Through Pattinson’s hollow gaze, the show itself becomes corrupted.
“[Sensationalism] … takes away from how the general public would see [the show] as being shocking … [similar to how a lot of issues today are taken less seriously] because they’re so intertwined with social media,” said senior Nishaan Singh.
At times, however, I felt that the movie pushed its symbolism too far. The movie would have been stronger if it stuck to a solid theme that it already worked to develop: the ethical consequences of “To Catch a Predator.” I did not need to see every character become a symbol of something larger, a force for good or not.
“You can’t just make something up and then expect [the source material] to [stay as interesting],” Singh said. “[Viewers won’t] realize that’s not true and then still be completely interested.”
The world of “Primetime” is indeed morally contaminated. When threatened with removal from their primetime slot on Tuesday evenings, Andie Bender is convinced that viewers will not be interested in watching a “feel-good” show. “Primetime” suggests that television must include outrage and humiliation, that both Plum and predators are embarrassed. Plum is criticized by friends for his acting capabilities and predators are zoomed in on.
While Hansen himself has criticized the movie, stating that it portrayed him in a one-dimensional light, I take issue with this critique. He may have expected a tribute film, but because the show’s lines are truly blurry, I think the movie’s portrayal of Hansen is deliberately unsettling. I enjoy the ambiguity that the movie deals with: it asks what happens when someone who believes he is doing something good becomes consumed by ratings and power — what someone becomes when they become corrupted and corrupt those around them.
“If [he’s] painted as a bad guy … people [would] dehumanize him,” Sharma said. “[Hansen] is ambiguous.”
Overall, I would give “Primetime” 4 stars out of 5. I loved the exploration of what evil truly means, and it was interesting to see how the movie, criticizing media sensationalism in “To Catch a Predator” had a clear lens through which they portrayed Hansen.
