Robert Pattinson has described the plot of his new film Primetime as “the most terrifying thing that can happen to you”, particularly for parents. He made the remarks at the film’s screening at the London Film Festival on Sunday night.
In the A24 crime thriller, Pattinson plays the real-life host of the American TV show To Catch a Predator, which aired from 2004 to 2007 and involved hunting alleged child abusers. The film depicts the host, NBC journalist Chris Hansen, carrying out sting operations on would-be predators. Pattinson became a father almost three years ago, when he welcomed his first child with Suki Waterhouse.
Pattinson on the show’s complicated legacy
Pattinson said the programme offered a sense that something could be done about child abuse, and that it could be done quickly. He said that was correct in some ways, but that it also made for powerful television and moved into “slightly dicey territory”. The show also raised questions about where to draw the line between investigative journalism, police activity and reality television.
Asked whether attitudes towards this kind of entertainment had changed, Pattinson paused before answering. He said such content had been on mainstream TV but had since been replaced, and that similar material had moved to social media. He said he was drawn to the show because he could see the start of a new wave of “predator catching” in much the same format as the early 2000s.
Hansen’s criticism and the director’s response
Hansen has been critical of the film. In a video posted on X, he called it “bizarre” and “detached from reality”.
Director Lance Oppenheim addressed those criticisms by saying, “I agree, that was by design.” He said he had always thought of the movie as more of a fever dream than a representational portrait. Oppenheim added that the desire to watch people being publicly punished was something “ancient”, and said he wanted to make a film that examined that impulse.
Oppenheim is also co-directing a highly anticipated documentary about Elizabeth Holmes with Nathan Fielder. Speaking separately about that project, he said: “I want everyone to see it. It’s a really special movie.”
Pattinson’s rising profile and upcoming projects
Pattinson, who is 40, became something of a pin-up after playing the vampire Edward Cullen in the Twilight series alongside Kristen Stewart. Before that, he played Hufflepuff student Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. He has since appeared in major films including Christopher Nolan’s Tenet, as well as a range of eccentric indie films.
This year he has also starred opposite Zendaya in The Drama and played a key role in the summer blockbuster The Odyssey. Dune: Part Three is still to come. He is also attached to the next Batman film, although production has reportedly paused. When asked when work would resume, he said, “We don’t know yet, but yeah, working on it.”
Primetime has led to speculation that this could be the year Pattinson earns his first Oscars nomination. Responding to the question of his chances, he said, “I am eternally grateful that I got these jobs,” adding that being able to do them made this “one of the best years of my life”.
