Robert Pattinson’s ‘Primetime’ Earns Rave Rotten Tomatoes Score and a Nine-Minute Standing Ovation at Venice

Robert Pattinson has built one of the more fascinating post-‘Twilight’ careers in Hollywood, consistently gravitating toward strange, unsettling characters that push him well outside conventional leading-man territory. His latest transformation continues that pattern, tackling a real television figure whose legacy remains genuinely divisive nearly two decades after his heyday.

That figure is Chris Hansen, the former Dateline NBC correspondent behind “To Catch a Predator,” and Pattinson’s dramatized take on him has become one of the most talked-about films of this year’s festival circuit. Ahead of its theatrical release, the film needed to clear its biggest hurdle yet: an actual audience reaction at its world premiere.

That premiere has now delivered emphatically. ‘Primetime‘ currently holds a 93% score on Rotten Tomatoes across 14 reviews, and the film received a nine-minute standing ovation following its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival.

The response from critics has been overwhelmingly positive, with several outlets singling out Pattinson’s performance as a career highlight. Little White Lies described his take on Hansen as a career high, writing that the actor “wears Chris Hansen’s skin like a suit,” according to Deadline, capturing the character’s unsettling, almost predatory stare and unwavering belief in his own righteousness.

Not every review has been unreserved praise, though. Awards Watch gave the film a B grade, noting that ‘Primetime’ recreates the mechanics of “To Catch a Predator” with real skill but leaves much of its underlying moral questions largely unexamined, resulting in an entertaining thriller that never fully commits to a clear point of view on the show’s legacy.

The Hollywood Reporter’s review took a similarly mixed stance, praising strong performances across the board, including from co-stars Skyler Gisondo and Merritt Wever, while questioning whether the film ultimately says anything more substantive than the reality show it’s dramatizing. Still, even critics with reservations about the film’s deeper ambitions have consistently praised its central performances and stylistic commitment to recreating the show’s grainy, early-2000s aesthetic.

Audience reactions circulating on Letterboxd following the Venice screening have echoed that same enthusiasm for Pattinson specifically, with one user comparing the film’s atmosphere to a blend of ‘Better Call Saul’ and internet horror aesthetics while calling Pattinson’s performance “his best of the year.”

The film’s world premiere drew a notable crowd of industry figures, with Chloé Zhao, Amanda Seyfried, Mona Fastvold and Pattinson’s partner Suki Waterhouse all in attendance to watch the film unfold. Pattinson produced ‘Primetime’ himself alongside Brighton McCloskey through their company Icki Eneo Arlo, with Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, Fred Berger, Lars Knudsen and Tyler Campellone also serving as producers.

That premiere came against the backdrop of ongoing tension with the real Chris Hansen, who has publicly criticized the film without having seen it, going as far as purchasing advertising space to promote his own true-crime streaming network ahead of screenings. Despite that friction, Pattinson has remained diplomatic in interviews, expressing hope that Hansen will eventually come around on the film once he actually watches it.

Directed by Lance Oppenheim in his narrative feature debut, ‘Primetime’ also stars Phoebe Bridgers in her acting debut, alongside Gisondo and Wever rounding out the film’s central cast. The film runs 1 hour and 50 minutes and is classified within the drama and mystery/thriller genres.

With strong reviews, a rapturous festival reception and mounting real-world controversy all converging ahead of its release, ‘Primetime’ looks positioned to be one of the more talked-about films of the fall season. ‘Primetime’ opens in theaters September 25 through A24.

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