Real-Life Chris Hansen Gives Honest Review of Robert Pattinson's New Thriller With 87% RT

Robert Pattinson’s new A24 crime thriller Primetime has debuted to positive reviews from critics praising his performance. Now, Chris Hansen — the real life subject of the film, is giving his own honest feedback.

In a video shared on X (formerly Twitter), Hansen posted a teaser of his honest thoughts of Pattinson’s portrayal. “Well…I saw Primetime,” he wrote. “My reaction tonight 7p Eastern on my podcast/YouTube channel Have A Seat With Chris Hansen!” In the clip, Hansen admitted: “It was so bizarre and so in and out of reality. It was hard for me to be — honestly, I’m not objective because the character was . . .me. It was so detached from reality or anything I’ve ever experienced then or now during the investigations. I’m just not sure what the point of it was.”

Chris Hansen Slams Robert Pattinson Thriller as ‘Detached from Reality’ in Honest Review

Hansen’s opinion doesn’t quite align with the average viewer, but it’s clear he has his reasons why. Pattinson’s Primetime hit theaters on Sept. 25 to general praise, and it currently sits at a Certified Fresh rating of 87% on Rotten Tomatoes.

“Turning the camera’s scrutinizing eye back onto To Catch a Predator‘s journalistic legacy, Primetime interrogates the slippery boundary between justice and lurid spectacle with crackling style and an outstanding Robert Pattinson,” the site’s consensus reads. Audiences have largely agreed, and 81% of over 1,000 verified ratings have been positive.

The A24 flick is based on Esquire‘s 2007 article “Tonight on Dateline This Man Will Die” by Luke Dittrich, following the production of To Catch a Predator. Hansen stars as the series host (Hansen) and also served as a producer for the film.

Pattinson was joined by Merritt Wever as Dateline NBC producer Andie Bender, a fictional composite of the show’s real producers, with the characterization being that they prioritized ratings above all else. Skyler Gisondo (Jimmy Olsen in James Gunn’s DCU) portrayed Dan Plum, an aspiring young actor hired for the show’s sting operations.

It’s still fairly early in Primetime’s box office run, but the film appears to be off to a good start, even if Hansen’s review isn’t the most glowing. The film was released alongside Brad Pitt and David Ayer’s Heart of the Beast and DreamWorks’ Forgotten Island, and projections put it in the $17-20 million territory for its opening weekend, above its $14.5 million budget.

Chris Hansen Fights Back Against A24’s Primetime With a Surprise Move

Robert Pattinson as Chris Hansen catching a predator in Primetime

Surprisingly, Hansen’s thoughts on Primetime appear to be relatively tame compared to what he might want to say. Earlier this year in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Hansen said that he was “asked not to talk about [the film] in a great deal,” adding of the trailer that it looked “very dramatic” and asking what Hollywood’s motive might be.

In an appearance on Jesse Watters Primetime, Hansen claimed a lawyer from A24 asked him before a private screening of the film to sign a contract that took away “his name, image and brand, essentially” as well as any potential legal rights arising from the film, which re reportedly refused to sign.

The Hollywood Reporter later broke the news that Hansen purchased pre-show advertising for every theatrical screening of Primetime, advertising his streaming service, TruBlu. He also reportedly wanted to advise theatergoers that the film was “a Hollywood fantasy version” of true events, but opted not to in case A24 decided to take legal action.

Primetime starring Robert Pattinson is now in theaters.