Primetime Review: Well-produced poppycock
As part of a triple feature with Hope and Forgotten Island, I checked out Primetime. A fictional dramatization of Chris Hansen's life, this was a promising thriller concept. Though, being A24, I would've checked it out even if it sounded horrible because they are always trying to be interesting... But I digress. Did this film meet, exceed, or come short of my expectations? That's what I, Brighton Nelson of The Reel Ranker, will be discussing in today's review. Thanks so much for joining me, and I hope you have a great day!
Let's start with the positives. First, the performances. Robert Pattinson plays a manic, elevated take on Chris Hansen that's rather remarkable. Balancing diabolic outbursts, conniving tirades, and morally gray moments, he feels heightened but not so cartoony that he stops being entertaining and menacing.
All the actors for the predators here did a great job feeling disgusting and like real pedophiles. The actress for the assistant, Merritt Wever, did a great job playing the woman who only cares about the numbers and reviews. However, Skyler Gisondo as "Decoy Dan" was the standout performance for me. Yes, I'd nominate him any day over Pattinson here. Shoot me, but I don't give two damns. I've loved Gisondo for years, especially since he played young Shawn Spencer in Psych.
While I loved the performances, my favorite aspect of the film was easily the hypnotic neo-noir visuals. With crazed cinematography that is a throwback to the era's mood, plus a saturated palette and color grading that wash the film in reds, blues, yellows, and other hues, it's an outstanding visual treat. This is accentuated by Oppenheim's directorial flair, who shoots the film to feel like the true horrors of the predators, not just another Hollywood biography.
Nonetheless, while this is a great piece of artwork, it unfortunately had a lot more style than substance for me. The film seems to exploit shock value and scenery just as much as Chris Hansen once did, without much attempt at satire. It feels just as scummy to sit down and watch these reenacted scenes as it is to watch the original show. Yet again, these people are making money off of the sensationalization of pedophilia, like the original. Except Hansen was catching predators and making entertainment—this was just entertainment, and it doesn't do enough to convince people that Hansen is really this insane villain, because Pattinson doesn't even feel human in the first place. Hence, the film stabs itself in the heart with a cyclical barrage of self-critique.
I also felt that Pattinson's performance, while fantastic, was the epitome of disingenuousness and should've been used instead for a fictional, adjacent film. Seriously, this film would've been so much better if it wasn't pretending to be based in reality. The performance felt too comedic, infusing bathos into scenes where it didn't belong. It also leads to another huge problem—so much of this is fake. It's one thing to make up beloved side characters when playing around with ancient history. However, messing with facts about people who are still alive is just as exploitative, if not more so, than anything Chris Hansen has ever done. This is a baffling deconstruction of everything film stands for.
I'm not suggesting everyone thinks the same way I do about how this film handles real people—I know I'm in the minority—but this lazy script, which embellishes his persona, takes too many liberties with the truth. It makes up characters. It lies about real-life crime. And it never even tries to address the fact that it's as sensational as it is. I left this film bored of the story and performances because the themes felt falsified and the script failed the wonderful actors and cinematography.
The Reel Ranker Verdict
Reel or Unreel? - Unreel
The Reel Ranker Score: 35%
Letter Score: D
Star Ranking: 2 out of 5
Primetime is a visually hypnotic, neon-drenched A24 thriller elevated by a standout performance from Skyler Gisondo and Oppenheim's atmospheric direction. However, the film collapses under the weight of its own ethical hypocrisy and over-sensational balderdash. By fabricating real-life facts without any acknowledgement and never giving a steady critique of anything Hansen did, it indulges in the exploitation it allegedly sought to condemn. If it weren't for its stylish veneer and performances, this would probably be my least favorite non-independent film of the year thus far.
Interested in checking out some recent reviews for some other dramas or thriller films? See them below!
Brighton Nelson
Brighton Nelson
Enjoy this review? Stay tuned for more articles from The Reel Ranker! Enjoy video games, music, or books? Check out our sister site, RPG Ranked, Mr. Maestro, and Brighton's Bookshelf, respectively!
