I’ve been excited about every film Robert Pattinson has released on the 2026 movie schedule; however, Primetime is the one I’ve been most curious about. In the upcoming A24 movie, the actor plays To Catch a Predator’s Chris Hansen. Now critics have seen this thriller, and they are saying very similar things about the leading man’s performance. To Catch a Predator was an infamous and controversial series on NBC hosted by Hansen. It ran as part of Dateline from 2004 to 2007, and it used sting operations to catch alleged sexual predators who thought they were meeting with someone underage. Primetime is inspired by this, and Pattinson gives a wild performance in it. Whether they loved the movie or not, critics seemed to all agree on that front. Calling the actor’s performance “dizzying” in his review for BBC, Nicholas Barber wrote:This has been Pattinson's year, with performances to relish in The Drama and The Odyssey (and Dune: Part Three still to come). But no film has suited his mischievously oddball style more than Primetime, a darkly surreal media satire which premiered at the Venice Film Festival on Saturday. The first narrative feature from Lance Oppenheim, previously a documentary director, Primetime is sure to be an Oscar contender – although it may be a controversial one.Later in the review, Barber wrote that Pattinson’s performance is “exaggerated and theatrical without ever being arch.” He also noted that he thinks this is “the best performance yet from the most intriguing actor of his generation.” Jessica Kiang’s review for Variety specifically dove into Pattinson’s impression of Chris Hansen. The actor has said he would listen to podcasts to really nail down Hansen’s voice, and admitted that “it’s very hard to do.” However, it sounds like he nailed it, commenting on his “physical mannerisms” and his “vocal impersonation,” the critic wrote: Most obviously, front and center, and in endlessly intrusive close-up, there’s Pattinson — who also serves as producer — playing the arrogant, fame-addicted, megalomaniac Hansen. Pattinson’s mimicry of the real Hansen’s physical mannerisms, like the awkward staging of his gotcha moments while he clutches a sheaf of damning chatroom printouts, is one thing. But his vocal impersonation, capturing the self-consciously over-rehearsed cadences of Hansen’s speech, is uncanny.Along with complimenting Pattinson’s work, the reviewer also noted that the rest of the cast, which includes Skyler Gisondo and Merritt Wever, delivers “career-best screen work.” Many reviews cited that it’s not just the subjects of To Catch a Predator who are framed in a guilty light. It also frames Hansen and “almost everyone involved with the show as some kind of seducer too,” as IGN’s review from Siddhant Adlakha explained. He also noted that while Chris Hansen has already been critical of Primetime and probably won’t like Pattinson’s performance, others will likely love it: The real Hansen hasn’t seen the film at the time of this writing, though this hasn’t stopped him from threatening legal action. Regardless, it’s hard to imagine he’d be pleased with Pattinson’s portrayal — but unfortunately, he might be alone in his displeasure. The Batman star has never been better or more explosive, delivering a jester-like performance as a man envious of other news hosts’ success — and by proxy, of the era of war-as-entertainment.Like other reviews, this one goes on to compliment Pattinson’s impression of Hansen, while also saying that he “sets the screen ablaze” with his “heightened” take on the TV personality. Overall, critics agree that The Batman actor “really sinks his teeth into the questionable ethics of Hansen,” as THR’s David Rooney put it. However, while the performances were great, this critic wasn’t totally sold on the movie, as he wrote: [Lance] Oppenheim manages the actors with finesse, getting strong work especially from Pattinson, Gisondo, New York stage regular Maher and the always brilliant Wever. But although Primetime is entertaining in a sicko, silly sort of a way, it shows too little intellectual or psychological curiosity to displace Predators as the more serious study and might leave you wondering who and what this anti-date movie is for.Next Best Picture gave the film a 7 out of 10. However, despite criticism that “the screenplay often focuses on unimportant aspects of the story,” the performances are top-tier, with it highlighting the notion that Pattinson has given another great performance in 2026. He’s not the only one deserving of flowers, though, as Ema Sasic wrote: While ‘Primetime’ may not entirely be a narrative home run, there’s still plenty to rave about here. Pattinson further proves he’s one of our most interesting actors working today, always up for the challenge of taking on roles that are exciting, refreshing, and offering something different for audiences. This will also hopefully be a big moment for Gisondo, who shows he’s a secret weapon in bringing out the complexities of this former program.It seems like Primetime could lead to polarizing reactions, and critics seem to range from positive to mixed on it. At the time of this writing, it’s sitting at 93% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 14 reviews. No matter where you fall on it, though, Pattinson’s performance as Chris Hansen stands out and adds another feather in his cap of 2026 movies, which include Christopher Nolan’s critically acclaimed adaptation of The Odyssey and the polarizing yet well-reviewed The Drama. So, to make up your own mind about Primetime, and to see if Robert Pattinson’s performance, you can catch Lance Oppenheim’s film in theaters on September 25.