Lance Oppenheim’s Primetime is the fall blockbuster that few saw coming. With an IMDb rating of 7.2/10, an 86 percent Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes, and an average of 3.7/5 on Letterboxd, the movie has seen surprising success. A24’s dramatization of the “behind-the-scenes” aspect of the show To Catch a Predator took a peculiar take on the highly controversial but popular NBC series. The film has already grossed almost $20 million over its $15 million budget.
On paper, the film sounds like it shouldn’t work. Robert Pattinson acts as host Chris Hansen, who became a household name. What makes the film unique, besides the nature of the original show, is the decision not to make a biopic, but something stranger.
The first noticeable thing in the film is how it looks. From grainy filters to authoritative angles, the film is doing something different in every scene. What is especially noticeable, though, are the faces, often half-lit, which produces a fifty-fifty split that makes each character seem divided against themselves and their own beliefs. Colors are pushed to their absolute extremes, and the saturation is hard to ignore. It keeps the audience off balance, and it’s no accident that multiple viewers call it just as much a horror film as a thriller. Following the film, the people I talked to kept landing on similar words. Miles Potter `29 called it “unsettling,” and Kent Ordal `29 said it was simply “weird and strange.”
It seems Robert Pattinson has established himself as a cheat code in the film industry. Pattinson has already had a massive year, appearing in The Drama and Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster take on The Odyssey. Chris Hansen also helped with the movie’s sudden widespread popularity. Whether Hansen meant it or not, by publicly criticizing the film and Pattinson’s portrayal, it brought new eyes and new perspectives. Pattinson’s performance is also where critics and audiences have been unanimous. Across almost all platforms, viewers have identified him as the film’s anchor.
Not everyone, though, was fully satisfied. Rich Kang `29 said, “the plot left more to be wanted.” Although he conceded that he “can appreciate the cinematography and acting.” This review sums up a common reaction. In multiple instances, the plot can seem and feel thin, and the ending, which I won’t spoil, leaves much to be asked and desired. Much of the film is ambiguous. If you go in expecting a tightly plotted thriller, you may find yourself wanting more. But if you go in for an atmospheric film, both in performance and style, you will likely leave much more satisfied. The film definitely takes its liberties in many places, so it may be better to treat it more as a story and not as a documentary.
Primetime is inherently messy in many ways. It is unmistakably the work of a filmmaker with a certain point of view, and it takes its liberties where it can. It begs the question of the line between justice and entertainment, then declines to really answer either. The film may frustrate some and exhilarate others, but that divide is exactly what is driving all the buzz.
~ William Maasbach `29
Be First to Comment