Robert Pattinson gives one of his most daring performances as TV host Chris Hansen, who led the boundary-pushing reality series To Catch a Predator on NBC. Pattinson brings us deep underneath the ambition and professionalism of the man to show us that his strength and determination come not from a desire to be a star, but from seeing himself as an investigative journalist who believes he’s doing the most important work that not even the authorities can achieve at his level. Merritt Wever is incredible here and the film’s standout. Her work in the film is deserving of so many flowers, portraying conflict, empathy, and ambition in the role of one of the show’s producers. Skyler Gisondo is also fantastic as an aspiring actor who gets cast by Hansen to join the team.

Filmed in a cinematic manner that feels distant from our present but still aware of its ploys, Primetime shows us the relationship between morality and exploitation, without ever giving us easy answers about how we should handle such situations, but allowing us to think about the complex and deeply uncomfortable nature of what we’re watching. Knowing as little about the true story behind the show and its journey will make many moments surprising as well, with lots of humor and shock being balanced with the audacity of these situations, but the knowledge that it’s also far too real and scary.