Movie Review

Robert Pattinson plays infamous host who catches predators in Primetime

Robert Pattinson in Primetime.

Photo courtesy of A24

Robert Pattinson is among a select group of actors with multiple high-profile roles in 2026, having already starred in The Drama and The Odyssey, with Dune: Part Three yet to come. But the one that may earn him an Oscar nomination — if not win — is Primetime, in which he stars as Chris Hansen, the former host of the Dateline NBC show To Catch a Predator.

The film, directed by Lance Oppenheim and written by Ajon Singh, plops viewers right in the middle of the short-lived run (2004-2007) of the program, which aimed to expose men for trying to have sex with teenagers. Hansen is obsessed with making the show successful, which means enticing as many child predators as they can and recruiting young-looking adult actors to serve as decoys for sting operations.

Helping him in his pursuit is producer Andie Bender (Merrit Wever), who has her own ambitions; recruiter Xavier Von Erck (Matthew Maher), who perhaps enjoys trapping predators a bit too much; and decoys Dan Plumb (Skyler Gisondo) and Del (Phoebe Bridgers), who have to muster all the improv skills they can when the men show up. As the story proceeds, each participant weighs their own level of comfort with the controversial practices of the show as a whole.

Depending on the audience, the film can play as a serious drama, a comedy, a horror, or a combination of all three. It seems like Oppenheim wants to confront the audience with the uncomfortable feeling of not having anyone for whom to root. You certainly can’t feel bad for the predators, who actively engage with someone they believe to be a child. But the process of getting men on the show, as well as the treatment of the decoys, is itself unsavory and difficult to defend.

At the center is a protagonist whose persona is interesting as a character, but less appealing as an actual person. As Hansen pushes everyone around him to do all they can for the sake of the show, his hubris puts him right in line with your standard antihero. But the idea of a man obsessed with his job who all but ignores his family and cheats on his wife is ultimately not that compelling and plays like the cliché it is.

If the film was supposed to be an exposé on what Hansen and the show as a whole got wrong in the pursuit of justice, it fails to bring about any strong feelings on either side. The one area where it does succeed is in its depictions of the two decoys, and Oppenheim might have been better served by showcasing them more. The film does shift toward being more of a story about Dan than Hansen, but not enough to make a big impact.

Oppenheim has seemingly devised the film as an acting showcase, and in that regard it works well. Pattinson is all-in with his performance, going to great lengths to demonstrate Hansen’s passion for the show. He has many fantastic line readings, including a one-word utterance late in the film that brings the house down. Wever and Gisondo are just as good, and Bridgers — making her acting debut — steals several of the scenes she’s in.

The impact To Catch a Predator had on society despite the small number of episodes (20) it had is something worth exploring, as the documentary Predators did in 2025. But Primetime doesn’t get to the heart of the matter in a way that makes for necessary viewing, leaving it as a testament to the skills of its actors and not much else.

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Primetime opens in theaters on September 25.

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weekend event planner

Here are the top 15 things to do in Houston this weekend

Courtesy of Weezer

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Saturday is the 16th International Independent Home Video Day, and local video store Lost & Found Media (located inside Misfit Toys) will be celebrating with some sweet home-video deals. If you spend $10, you can get a free DVD or VHS tape. They’ll also have a limited run of mystery DVD blind boxes.

As always, it’ll be a fun, fascinating weekend full of art, film, music, and – yes – monster trucks. Enjoy yourself, and try not to come undone.

Thursday, October 15

Cactus Music presents Sama’an Ashrawi – Author Meet & Greet
Palestinian-American storyteller/film director Sama’an Ashrawi is celebrating the release of his debut book, 𝘉𝘢𝘣𝘢 𝘞𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘙𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘦, with a stop at Cactus Music. It tells the stories of his father’s place within the nascent Palestinian rock & roll scene of the ‘60s, as well as the author’s own odyssey through the living history of American music and culture. The event will feature readings from the book, with a discussion moderated by Aris Kian (Houston Poet Laureate, 2023-2025). 5:30 pm.

Spectrum Fusion presents Illuminate: Creating Brighter Futures for Autistic Adults
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, and with Illuminate, Spectrum Fusion is shining a light on the talents, abilities, and bright futures of the autistic adults it serves. The gala is Spectrum Fusion’s most important fundraising event of the year, helping to fund meaningful employment opportunities, creative programming, and community connections for autistic adults throughout Houston and beyond. 6 pm.

Affordable Art Fair
The Affordable Art Fair will open its doors for the first time in Houston. The four-day event brings together over 55 local, national, and international galleries, all displaying works by emerging and established living artists — with prices starting at $100. Visitors will find expert gallerists ready to demystify the art world through one-on-one conversations, panel discussions, guided tours, and hands-on workshops. The fair partners with several local galleries, including Koelsch Gallery, ELLIO Fine Art, and Off The Wall Gallery. 6 pm (Noon Friday; 11 am Saturday and Sunday).

Friday, October 16

Weezer in concert
It’s the 20th anniversary of Pinkerton, Weezer’s notoriously divisive 1996 follow-up to their career-launching, self-titled 1994 debut (aka the Blue Album). Expect a few of its tracks from Rivers Cuomo and the boys when they play Toyota Center this weekend, as part of their Weezer: The Gathering tour, which celebrates the band's 30th anniversary. Of course, they’ll also play the hits (“Buddy Holly,” “Beverly Hills”) along with new tunes from their recently-released, self-titled latest (aka the Gold Album). 7 pm.

Knives in Water presents Afro-Punk
Local pop-up kitchen Knives in Water will be bringing James Spooner, author, filmmaker, and co-founder of the Afropunk Festival, to Wonky Power this weekend. He’ll be here to screen his famed 2003 documentary Afro-Punk, where he traveled around the country and talked to BlPOC punk enthusiasts, as well as take part in a post-screening discussion/Q&A. He’ll also sell/sign copies of his recently-released memoir It Starts with Anger: A Punk Beginning, An AFROPUNK Ending. Local punkers B L A C K I E and Lagrimas will also provide live music. 7:30 pm.

Miller Outdoor Theatre presents Neon Nostalgic
Neon Nostalgic has toured across North America and around the globe, earning a reputation as one of the world’s premier nostalgia acts. They’re the only live band that syncs every moment of their performance in real time with the original music videos — transporting people straight back to the golden age of music television. Hosts/original MTV VJs Mark Goodman and Alan Hunter will share inside stories and memories, making this night a truly unforgettable rewind back to the decade that shaped us all. 7:30 pm.

The Music Box Theater presents Legends of the Hall
The Music Box Theater cast pays tribute to Rock & Roll Hall of Fame icons in an all-new production, Legends of the Hall. Songs will honor the music from the 1950s onward that defined multiple generations, from Elvis to Bowie. In addition to rock tunes, the show will feature soul, pop, blues, rhythm and blues, and more genres in a high energy, laugh-filled celebration of the inductees and their music. Through Saturday, November 21. 7:30 pm.

Montrose Grocer presents Wine Rave
The bottle shop and wine bar on Lower Westheimer will celebrate its upcoming one-year anniversary with special merch and pours from Italian natural wine favorite Radikon. Four DJs — Disko Cowboy, Yung Hiram, Grrrl Parts, and Dayta — will perform sets that keep the party going late, so dancing shoes are highly recommended. 8 pm.

Photo courtesy of Weezer

Weezer performs at the Toyota Center on Friday.

Saturday, October 17

Houston Arboretum & Nature Center presents ArBOOretum
At ArBOOretum, the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center's fall festival, the popular Trick-or-Treat Nature Trail will lead kids on an adventure of discovery where they’ll learn about creatures that live at the Arboretum, while collecting candy along the way. Other ArBOOretum activities throughout the day include carnival swings, a Halloween market, live animal encounters, pumpkin decorating, and train rides. All proceeds benefit the Arboretum’s mission of nature education and conservation. 10 am.

Houston Celebrity Comic Con
The two-day Houston Celebrity Comic Con will feature cosplay, video gaming, card gaming, workshops, panels, and autographs with a variety of celebrities. Scheduled guests include Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis (Thelma and Louise), Jamie Campbell Bower and Grace Van Dien (Stranger Things), Lena Headey (Game of Thrones), Ron Perlman (Hellboy), Lou Diamond Phillips, Brian Austin Green, Kristy Swanson, and more. 11 am.

Monster Jam
Monster Jam is an ultimate day of family fun where visitors can cheer, scream, and be amazed as massive Monster Jam trucks and world champion drivers take over for a weekend packed with high-flying action and jaw-dropping stunts. Trucks scheduled to perform include Grave Digger, El Toro Loco, Megalodon, Sparkle Smash, and more. Making its Texas debut will be The Amazing Spider-Man Monster Jam truck, in classic red and blue, complete with a larger-than-life spider icon. 7 pm.

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston presents Movies Houstonians Love: The Thing
A research team in Antarctica is hunted by a shape-shifting alien that assumes the appearance of its victims. John Carpenter’s 1982 masterpiece of paranoid sci-fi horror, The Thing’s cultural significance lies in groundbreaking, grotesque practical effects, subverting the heroic tropes of its predecessors. The film succeeds as an allegory for profound existential distrust, body horror, McCarthyism, and invisible, infectious threats, while also tackling transformation and identity. Former SNL writer T. Sean Shannon introduces the film. 7 pm.

Sunday, October 18

Inprint Cool Brains! Series presents Elizabeth Acevedo
The 2026/2027 Inprint Cool Brains! Series will present National Book Award winner and renowned poet Elizabeth Acevedo, who will share her new YA novel, Anger Is Only a Shadow. Acevedo is the New York Times-bestselling author of The Poet X, which won several awards including the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature. Apart from writing such acclaimed books as With the Fire on High and Clap When You Land, Acevedo is a National Poetry Slam Champion and served as the 2022 Young People’s Poet Laureate. 2 pm.

The Menil Collection presents Sounds to Live By
Enjoy an afternoon of outdoor music on the Menil's main building lawn. This annual outdoor listening event is organized by Peter Lucas and features music selections from a variety of Houston visual artists, musicians, DJs, and cultural organizers. Participants Jamire Williams, Corey De'Juan Sherrard Jr., Tierney Malone, Gracie Chavez, Alex la Rotta, and Jason Woods will be spinning vinyl records from their personal collections, selected especially for this relaxed, outdoor autumn experience. 3 pm.

Undertale: The Determination Symphony
Undertale: The Determination Symphony is a concert experience featuring the most memorable themes (composed by indie-game developer/composer Toby Fox) from the hit indie game, newly arranged and performed live by a 25-piece orchestra. With gameplay footage displayed on a screen above the stage, audiences will be fully immersed in the world of Undertale, experiencing its story and music like never before. 8 pm.

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