Chris Hansen Gives 'Primetime' a Reality-Bashing Review, Grades Robert Pattinson a D
Updated
Updated · Hollywood Reporter · Sep 26
Chris Hansen Gives 'Primetime' a Reality-Bashing Review, Grades Robert Pattinson a D
3 articles · Updated · Hollywood Reporter · Sep 26
Summary
Chris Hansen said after seeing A24’s "Primetime" in a Times Square screening that the film was a “fever dream,” “detached from reality” and unlike anything he experienced making "To Catch a Predator."
A24 did not consult him on the unauthorized dramatization, Hansen said, and he accused director Lance Oppenheim of deliberately pursuing a darker, horror-like version of his life rather than hearing from him or longtime colleagues.
Hansen singled out scenes involving Jeff Zucker and Stone Phillips as fabricated and said his biggest objection was the portrayal of him as an aloof father, which he said was false.
Robert Pattinson’s performance drew a “D” grade from Hansen, whose criticism landed as the film opened Friday in the U.S. with Pattinson playing a fictionalized 2006 version of the former NBC host.
The backlash extends a dispute that began before release, with Hansen arguing the movie distorts work he says helped protect children while reviving scrutiny of "To Catch a Predator" and its entrapment criticisms.