If you’re a fan of Twilight or sad music, I’m sure that you have heard of Primetime, Robert Pattinson’s new movie, featuring Phoebe Bridgers. I went to see Primetime in theaters, and this is my plot recap and honest review.
The film was very off-putting and attention-grabbing from the start. These factors intensified as Pattinson’s character, Chris Hansen, descended into madness. The film is based on the true story of Chris Hansen and his television series, How to Catch a Predator. In the series, adult actors dress up like kids and invite the men over so that the police can storm in and catch them. The How to Catch a Predator team lures these men in by reaching out to them on the internet, posing as minors. Chris Hansen is portrayed as being very meticulous about his job and even forcing them to re-tape his narrations numerous times.
As time goes on, Hansen’s focus shifts from locking up people who are doing wrong to being the most popular show on TV. This goal causes him to chase worse predators to boost viewing of the show. One of his team members says that they have been online messaging someone who is pseudo-famous. This revelation causes Hansen to become unhealthily obsessed with catching what he refers to as the “big fish.” This obsession negatively impacts his mental health and personal life, which the movie depicts with odd hallucinations and abnormal lighting choices. I thought that these stylistic choices were very unique and greatly added to the atmosphere of the film. I was thoroughly immersed in the movie for the whole two hours and was even on the edge of my seat at times.
The content of the movie was very disturbing and begged a lot of questions about morality and people’s motivations for acting in the way that they do. This movie truly makes you think while also entertaining you. It also features an amazing cast of characters composed of phenomenal actors. I thought the directors made very interesting visuals that paired well with the plot and soundtrack of the movie. Speaking of the soundtrack, I quite enjoyed the music of the movie, especially Phoebe Bridger’s new single that played as the credits rolled. It was the perfect end to the movie and definitely worth the listen even by itself.
Primetime was truly a great movie and I would recommend it to anyone. It is deep and twisted and entertaining in a unique way. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie even though I had no knowledge of Chris Hansen or his show, How to Catch a Predator, before the film.