Credit A24
directed by Lance Oppenheim; written by Ajon Singh and Luke Dittrich; starring Robert Pattinson, Merritt Wever, Skyler Gisondo, Matthew Maher, Phoebe Bridgers
Walking into this movie, I had only heard Robert Pattinson's performance was top notch. Otherwise, I had little interest in the story of Chris Hanson, award winning journalist and host of To Catch a Predator, the show where he and his crew lured sexual predators to a fake address and confronted them on camera.
Walking out of the movie, yes Robert Pattinson is one of the best actors of his generation. The quiet desperation and need he gives the character while hiding behind the grander "mission" of catching predators is astounding. A lot of it is in the plot, but throughout Pattinson gives the character conflicted faces and switching within scenes from depressive to congenial, from professional to flying off the handle. Sometimes with just a look, like when he is woken on the plane: first annoyed, then happy to be recognized, then engaged.
That level of acting extends to Wever and Gisondo. Both show the toll working with such material can give. Each deciding near the end what parts of them they will sell to give them their dreams. Wever's Andy once says something along the lines of "I don't know how to tell happy stories" while Gisondo's Dan struggles with an authenticity to his acting and whether the show is worth going to those dark places.
Check it out.
Plot Summary
Based on true-ish events, Chris Hanson hosts the hot TV show To Catch a Predator that has just been moved into prime time but will the show have enough fancy sex predators to keep it on top? Also there's a few side stories about how much of a toil the show takes on the actors and producers cause it's a pretty depressing thing to be a part of.
Characters
Chris Hanson - host of the show with a go-getter attitude and just enough moxie to get himself into a big mess. Pride goeth before the fall as he struggles between what is a good thing, catching sexual predators, and profiting off of that.
Andy Bender - producer of the show and the one that makes it all work to the point that maybe other people want her to do their show as well
Don Plum - Decoy Dan, as he's known on the show, lures sex predators with his young nubile body and can do attitude but what he really wants is a respectable job
Xaviar and Del - The old hats in the "talking to sex predators online" game, Xavier works for a national catching sex predators group and Del pretends to be either gender to lure in the creepy bastards.
Setting
United States, 2006
Various offices at NBC
Various houses set up as traps with cameras from mostly Florida, California, and Texas
including motels and restaurants where the crew sleep and eat
Hanson house in Connecticut
Favorite Scenes (No shit but spoilers cause that one guy complained. Seriously, do you eat chocolate cake and tell the baker "why did you tell me there was chocolate in this? I wanted to be surprised." Fucking clown shoes.)
Chris wakes up his kids so they can see his show about catching child predators - Really shows how broken this guy is and how disconnected he is from his family. Cut to him begging his wife to stay with him
Chris woken up on a plane - Number one, don't wake people up on planes, even celebrities, unless they are about to miss meal service or something drastic is happening. Number two, if you do, I guess make sure they are a mid-level celebrity and compliment their work because Chris brightens right up.
Passenger fan: "Don't you just want to bleed'em?" Chris: "What I do is worse." - There's a lot of moments that show Chris prefers public shaming as an ultimate punishment for deviants who prey on children. Later he has a whole speech about the town square pillory and watching people get flogged. Almost wistfully. Juxtaposes real justice for the court of public opinion.
Dan's first scene where he oversleeps, is changed, and has a man expose himself - Reading that back, I see the comparable nature of the sex predators and the show. They invite Dan into the house, strip him down, and force him into an uncomfortable situation for which he is not prepared. Which is a man pulling out his penis on camera and covering it with whip cream. Like you do.
Chris and "Decoy Dan" have a drink - We all know Pattinson can act like a beast in heat cause that's what he's doing through this whole movie, but Gisondo really sells the young actor with a heart of gold role. Seeing them together was lovely. I hope they keep him as Jimmy Olson.
Chris and Kristine have dinner and the waiter recognizes him as she's crying but before she sucks his thumb - First, we're supposed to be all "oh my god he's a lying cheater the bastard." Then the waiter comes in with the "I love you on the show" and it gets awkward. Then Hanson tries to cover up everything with "Do you have any cookies?" like a creepy predator because that's what can be. And then he talks his way out of the whole affair
Dan and Del do a verification phone call - Aw, they aren't all predatory in the show where they catch predators because Del shows Dan how it's done and then says "Find a way to protect yourself." He takes it to heart and gets a pretty solid montage after showing how you can acclimate yourself to talking to child sexual predators like a frog jumping into a hot water that quickly gets to boiling and decides "oh, yeah, I guess this is a hot tub."
Andy trying to decide if she wants to move on is exacerbated by the move to Denton, by the sheriff brushing her off, and by the rain and lightning. - Wever radiates competence in every scene, but seeing other people recognize that while those close to her pass her just adds to the drama. The scene with flashing lightning while Chris moves on her like a slasher is amazing.
Dan takes over for Chris - A real passing of the torch moment and another tip of the hat for Gisondo. He really embodies Pattinson as Hanson in that moment, showing his acting range and how comfortable he has gotten with everything.
Mary calls and tells Chris the National Enquirer wants a statement, saying they have photos - Chris is caught and his only spin is how well the show is doing. That's all his mind is on as his world crashes down around him.
"You're gonna be so proud of me, Mary." - Just an umph line, telling that to the person who is struggling because of him is hell.
Outside the DA's house, Chris talks to Dan - Dan seeing this for what it is, way too much and farther than they have gone before and Chris trying to convince him it's not too much..
Christ: "You're either with me or with him." - Hanson drawing lines in the sand and eliminating all pretense. He projects this as a holy mission while only wanting the mission to continue despite the cost.
Dan: "I don't want to be a bad person." - Dan seeing the lies for what they are. If you do a good thing by lying, how is it not tainted?
DA's house raid, one bad decision after another - Frantic and frenetic, the climax really goes for the throat of the mission statement of the movie: how far should you go to achieve a mission and is it worth your soul?
cameras on guns - the moment when the show chooses entertainment over public good. Because it's not enough to catch bad people; it has to be a show.
Andy saying they can work with this.- Andy decides to stay with the show and after a death on camera still tries to see how it can go on air.
split screen with voice over to no signal - The camera angles once used to show how the crew caught predators now focuses on them as each feed slowly is turned off.
I only wish a card came up at the end telling how all the Texas predators caught on the show were not prosecuted because of how bad the investigations were run. Catching predators is good but you have to make sure they stay caught. Public shaming only lasts the length of the public memory, which is becoming shorter and shorter.
Discussion Questions
If you were invited by someone over the internet to their home, would you go? Would you, you freak? Would you bring sausage for the barbeque? Or would a sick bastard like you bring hot dogs?
Did you ever watch To Catch a Predator? How does that make you feel?
If you were offered a spot in prime time television on NBC, would you wake up your children to introduce them to the idea of child sexual predators?
How many times do you think you can type "sexual predator" without it getting tiring? One more time: sexual predator. Discuss.
The nature of good and evil and how evil deeds can lead to good ends is a long debated theme in fiction. Has anyone checked up on the people that survived To Catch a Predator?
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