Primetime review
Venice film festival: Lance Oppenheim’s drama about controversial US reality show To Catch a Predator is unsure what it wants to say about media or morality
TL;DR
- The film is a drama-thriller based on the controversial US reality show 'To Catch a Predator' (2004-2008).
- The show lured and confronted alleged pedophiles in online chatrooms, with actors posing as children.
- Robert Pattinson plays host Chris Hansen, and Merritt Wever plays a fictional executive, Andie Bender.
- Skyler Gisondo plays Dan Plumb, a decoy actor used to lure subjects into "sting houses."
- The movie touches on office politics, Hansen's extramarital affair, and Bender being headhunted by a rival network.
- Despite its elaborate atmosphere, the film is criticized for being unsure of its message regarding media or morality.
- The narrative culminates in a crisis, but it remains unclear if Hansen learned anything from the experience.