Robert Pattinson stars as Chris Hansen, the host of the reality television series To Catch a Predator that entrapped paedophiles when it aired between 2004 and 2007. NBC’s once popular show was not shown here, so I was not sure if Lance Oppenheim’s film would do business outside of America. However, I was underestimating the love for Pattinson from his Twilight fans as the weekday early afternoon showing I attended was near packed.
Despite the tragic and dramatic incident that led to the show’s demise, and the inventive shooting style by Oppenheim and cinematographer David Bolen, I was left unconvinced that there was enough to this story to justify a feature length movie. What it does have are performances to remember from Pattinson, Matthew Maher as the deeply troubling vigilante who worked on the show, Anna Faris in a single scene, and the fabulous Merritt Wever as Andie Bender who brilliantly shows signs of a conscience whilst still being fixated on ratings.
It is that desperate hunt for ratings that led to such an exploitative show being moved to a prime time slot with seemingly little thought to the consequences. I would like to have seen more about the behind the scenes discussions at the network, instead of, for example, tangents about Hansen’s time in India.
As it is, this is a diverting telling of how a TV show can get out of control.
Rating: 6.5 out of 10