Director Lance Oppenheim joins forces with star Robert Pattinson and A24 to tell the story of Chris Hansen and To Catch a Predator in the new film Primetime. The film examines what happens when you get everything you ever wanted, but not in the manner you always imagined. Can you live with a Faustian bargain?
A24 describes the film as “a character study of a complicated hero whose dream curdles into a nightmare, and a portrait of performative justice in its purest form: justice staged for an audience, in a world where the town square has been replaced by the living room TV screen.” Pattinson stars as Hansen, a longtime newsman who fronted a show that briefly became a phenomenon at the intersection of reality TV and “gotcha” journalism.
Here’s how Primetime is scoring on Rotten Tomatoes, IMDb, Metacritic, Letterboxd, and more.
Current Primetime Ratings at a Glance
| Rating Source | Score |
|---|---|
| Rotten Tomatoes Critics | 89% |
| Rotten Tomatoes Audience | N/A |
| IMDb | 7.0/10 |
| Metacritic Critics | 67/100 |
| Metacritic Users | N/A |
| Letterboxd | 3.8/5 |
| CinemaScore | N/A |
Primetime Average Rating Across Major Review Sites
After converting Rotten Tomatoes, IMDb, Metacritic, and Letterboxd scores to a 100-point scale, Primetime currently holds an average rating of 75.5/100 across major review platforms. That score reflects a mostly favorable result.
The average rating was calculated by converting all available scores to a 100-point scale and averaging the results.
What the Ratings Say About Primetime
The reviews for Primetime point to broad admiration for Pattinson’s performance, even as critics remain divided on Oppenheim’s execution and the film’s larger argument about media spectacle.
On one side, Amy Nicholson of The Los Angeles Times calls Primetime “To Catch a Predator through a fun house mirror — or maybe a mirror in the carnival’s port-a-potty behind the fun house. On the other, Monica Castillo of AV Club says, “Oppenheim revisits the recent past with a new lens, examining the kind of people who would convince themselves that what they were doing was righteous, and challenging his audience to watch a little closer.” And Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian describes the film as, “A strangely overwrought and heavy-footed drama-thriller, which for all its elaborate neon-lit atmosphere of noir danger isn’t at all sure what it wants to say about media or morality, or anything else.”
Much of the focus in reviews has been on Pattinson’s turn as Hansen. Pattinson mostly gets applause from the critics, with Johnny Oleksinski of the New York Post saying, “Gung-ho Pattinson explodes as the host’s life falls apart and he descends into madness. However, it’s more of a good time than a profound one.” Bilge Ebiri of New York Magazine also has praise for Pattinson, espousing, “I’ve admired Pattinson for years, but nothing quite prepared me for his turn as Hansen… It’s a stunning demonstration of the actor’s range, and watching the film you can’t imagine any other performer of his generation pulling it off.” Even in a negative review from Time’s Stephanie Zacharek, Pattinson is singled out for praise: “Hansen’s unfolding mania is one of the chief features of Primetime, and Pattinson’s performance is one of the only reasons to see it.”
I think Variety’s Jessica Kiang perhaps sums up the push-pull of Primetime best, writing, “This uncompromisingly grimy approach would be actively repellent were it not for the extraordinary performances, which make Primetime a thing you cannot stop watching even as the desire to flee to the nearest shower cubicle grows.”
According to Variety, Primetime cost $15 million to produce and is expected to bring in about $17 million to $20 million in box office receipts. That would put the film in a battle with the Brad Pitt-led The Heart of the Beast and DreamWorks Animation’s Forgotten Island for third place, behind Avengers: Endgame Encore and Resident Evil.
Primetime FAQ
When does Primetime come out in theaters?
Primetime officially debuts in theaters on September 25, 2026.
Who plays Chris Hansen?
Robert Pattinson, best known for the Twilight films and his return turn as the Dark Knight in The Batman, plays former NBC newsman and To Catch a Predator host Chris Hansen.
Is Chris Hansen involved in this film?
No, Chris Hansen was not involved in the production of Primetime. In fact, he did not attend a screening after refusing to sign an NDA and told The Hollywood Reporter that the film is “much darker and way more dramatic” than what happened in real life. Hansen has also reportedly bought preshow advertising on every screen showing the upcoming A24 release, directing moviegoers to his TruBlu streaming service.
Who directed Primetime?
Primetime was directed by Lance Oppenheim, who also co-directed the upcoming Elizabeth Holmes documentary, You Can See Everything.
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