“Primetime”, rated R, is a hodgepodge of a crime drama with plenty of dark satire. If I didn’t know the movie was based on the real-life experiences of NBC news anchor Chris Hansen while hosting the television hit “To Catch a Predator,” I would have thought a screenwriter had simply made the whole thing up. The television segments on which the movie is based aired from 2004 until 2007 as part of “Dateline NBC.” The series used undercover sting operations to televise unsuspecting men as they arrived to meet targets they believed were underage girls or boys. Much attention is given to the decoys hired by the network to lure men who believed they were arranging encounters with minors. 

Front and center in the movie and in what really happened in the airing of the television series is the issue of vigilante justice and whether it goes too far so as to become a form of entrapment. British actor Robert Pattinson plays Hansen with flinty precision and a frightening zeal for his subject matter, revealing a man whose obsession about catching predators is both compelling and unsettling. Troubling questions arise about whether exposing wrongdoing on live television truly advances social justice or simply serves as another form of spectacle. The film’s portrayal of law enforcement in these sting operations televised by NBC, especially in a final and over-the-top scene, does not ring true although it does skew toward what we’ve come to expect from Hollywood. Which begs the question – is this what really happened back in the aughts?

The best and most understated performance in this film was turned in by Merritt Wever, who plays a member of Hansen’s production team (Andie Bender). She softens the edges of what otherwise is a hard-edged movie with her nuanced portrayal of a hard-working team player who also tries to do what is right. You may recognize her from her many television roles, including “Severance” and “The Walking Dead.” Skyler Gisondo also turns in a good performance in a complex role. He portrays Dan Plumb, another hired on-camera decoy who convincingly pretends to be a teenage boy to lure older male predators. Based on Dan “Decoy Dan” Schrack, an aspiring actor who worked as a decoy on the real-life series, Gisondo’s character provides an effective counterbalance to Pattinson’s Hansen, giving viewers a glimpse into the experience of those on the front lines of the sting operations.

The topic, while quite disturbing, is also an interesting one from a criminal justice standpoint. The film has attracted a fair amount of publicity amid some controversy since its release. The dramatic outcome of the final sting operation is loosely based on the take-down of a Texas prosecutor. “Primetime” doesn’t seem to know whether it wants to hew closely to what really happened on the television series two decades ago or take broad liberties for dramatic effect. From what I can discern, it has done both and jumps around in the process. In the film, the predator takedowns initially appear highly successful, with the cameras capturing each man as he enters a residence, is greeted by the decoy and is then quickly confronted by Chris Hansen before being arrested. As the “To Catch a Predator” series becomes a hit and the television-backed sting operations grow, Hansen is portrayed as wanting higher ratings and more highly charged encounters. As those around him become caught up in the drama, the larger ethical questions surrounding their work come increasingly into focus. The ride we are on feels like it is approaching a crash and burn as Hansen seeks bigger targets, and you can be the judge of whether that happened if you choose to see the movie.

If you want to learn more about what really happened, don’t rely solely on the film. There is plenty of information online to fill in the details. Chris Hansen is still involved in true-crime work and active sting operations, but no longer with NBC. He was not consulted in the making of this film and has been publicly critical of its accuracy. “Primetime” was written by Ajon Singh and directed by Lance Oppenheim. In a note published by A24 on Sept. 25, Oppenheim described the film as “a fever dream, a media collage of every version of Chris Hansen that’s ever existed.” This strikes me as accurate.