Going From ‘To Catch A Predator’ to ‘Primetime’

Predator-catching has become a popular form of media for our generation, primarily run by YouTubers such as Skeeter Jean and JiDion. Although you would never find predator catchers on mainstream television nowadays, there was a time when Chris Hansen’s show, “To Catch a Predator,” aired on TVs around the country during the time slot with the most viewer engagement. This show started the trend of predator-catching and laid the foundation for today’s biggest catchers. Lance Oppenheim’s new film, “Primetime,” chronicles the show at its peak, including the highs, the lows, and its controversial end. 

The film opens with Chris Hansen (Robert Pattinson) catching a predator. With this scene, we get to see what a typical episode of “To Catch a Predator” looks like: The predator in question is told to come into the house where the child decoy Del (Phoebe Bridgers) is waiting to bring him into the kitchen, where he sits until Hansen makes his dramatic entrance to reprimand the predator. Then, when the predator tries to leave, the cops are outside waiting for him. This is the picture that each episode of the show paints: Hansen is a savior who protects innocent children from harm out of the goodness of his heart.

While the show paints that picture, “Primetime” deconstructs it, offering a more critical view of “To Catch a Predator” and of Hansen himself. For example, it delves into the complications of profiting off of predator catching. The film shows that gaining fame and profit is very important to the people working on the show, especially Hansen and its producer, Andie Bender (Merritt Wever). This becomes morally questionable at times, including when Del refuses to continue working after seeing a thong that says “Contents Aged at least 18 Years” being sold as merchandise for the show. Additionally, Hansen seems obsessed with ratings and his own image, often practicing the lines he plans to say to the predators and going to extreme lengths to keep the show in its primetime slot. At one point, when Hansen is talking about his prior work in India reporting on child slave labor, he points out that he won an Emmy for it, highlighting that as the most important part. This desire for acclaim breaks down the idea that Hansen was working purely from the kindness of his heart, suggesting there may have been ulterior motives.

Another problematic aspect of “To Catch a Predator” that the film focuses on is the exploitation of its employees, specifically Decoy Dan (Skyler Gisondo). When he auditions for the show, he is unaware of what he is signing up for. He is told that he will be playing a 13-year-old boy, but the fact that it is intended to lure in predators is not revealed to him until his first day on set, when he is thrust into the scene with little preparation. During this scene, he is visibly nervous; sweat beads on his face, his voice cracks, and he stumbles over his words. This comes to a head when the predator pulls his pants down in front of Dan. After Hansen comes out and Dan is pulled behind the scenes, he starts crying from the traumatic experience. Although Hansen convinces him to stay on set — by slightly manipulative means, like calling him a superhero — he continues to express discomfort with the various things he is forced to do in his role as a decoy. 

The film also addresses troublesome areas of Hansen’s personal life, specifically his marriage and alleged affair. In the only scene with his wife and children, he primarily speaks about his work to them; he wakes his children up to make them watch his show and tells them that he got the primetime slot, then he promises to be a better husband to his wife while also telling her that he has to leave the next day for filming. We also quickly learn that he was having an affair with a 30-year-old woman, which he calls off right before getting caught by the press. After the press threatens to leak photos of him and the woman, he starts to spiral, as reflected in his performance on the show — notably having a breakdown that prevents him from going on air, causing Dan to improvise for him. Although this scandal was covered by the media, Hansen never admitted to it or spoke publicly about it. 

The real-life Hansen has expressed discontent with the film. In a video that he posted to his YouTube channel shortly after the film’s release, he discusses all of the issues he has with it. He says he was not consulted about the film or asked for any contribution during its filming, and that it is a work of fiction with only a few hints of reality. Additionally, he claims that the film puts him in an unrealistic bad light. For example, he says that he didn’t care about fame and ratings as much as the film suggests, that he did not have a strained relationship with his family, and that he never worked closely with Decoy Dan. He questions the purpose of the film, suggesting that Hollywood is trying to demonize predator catchers instead of shaming the predators themselves. 

Whether we view the film as fact or fiction, “Primetime” raises important questions about the ethics of predator catching. It makes us ask: Do the pros outweigh the cons? Then, it shows how ambiguous a question that is, one that may be impossible to answer. While taking justice into our own hands and publicly humiliating predators may seem like exceptional work in theory, “Primetime” prompts us to consider who is profiting from this work and who is being harmed by it.