Primetime Is Hollywood’s Attempt to Normalize the Disordered Evils of Pedophilia

A24’s new movie, Primetime, is a fictionalized drama inspired by the popular 2000s real-life investigative television show To Catch A Predator. Hosted by journalist Chris Hansen, the original program famously led to the arrests of 256 alleged child predators, about half of whom were convicted. This new film takes a controversial approach. It shifts the focus away from the perpetrators, using clever framing and narrative choices to portray the pedophiles as victims and to frame Hansen’s pursuit of justice as a morally grey crusade driven by a quest for fame.

Primetime, which debuted on Sept. 25, earned nearly $20 million on its opening weekend, putting it fourth in domestic rankings. The film is alarming because it is beautifully shot, well acted, and has a tight script. It has earned its artistic merits. It is such a well-made film that it has moments of being terrifyingly persuasive. But ultimately, audiences must confront the question: Why are we creating art that makes us question whether pedophilia is wrong?

Primetime follows Hollywood’s trend of undercutting heroes and empathizing with villains. This has become a notable feature of modern cinema, such as with films like Maleficent and Steps, which try to vindicate villains. Primetime cunningly borrows the subversive tropes from those films.