Robert Pattinson is having quite the year.
The British actor has already starred opposite Zendaya in The Drama, and played a key role in summer blockbuster The Odyssey.
But his new film, Primetime, takes him in a completely new direction – as he portrays the real-life host of American TV show, To Catch a Predator.
The show, which aired from 2004 to 2007, involved hunting alleged child abusers.
For Pattinson, who became a father almost three years ago, the film’s plot is particularly concerning.
“It’s both the most terrifying thing that can happen to you, whether you’re a parent, or even if you’re not,” he told BBC News at the film’s screening at London Film Festival.
“It’s the most unimaginable sin possible,” he added.
The new A24 crime thriller depicts the show’s host, NBC journalist Chris Hansen, carrying out sting operations on would-be predators.
The show was a ratings hit.
But it also led to questions over where to draw the line between investigative journalism, police activity and reality television.
Speaking on Sunday night, Pattinson reflected on the show’s complicated legacy.
“The show was this kind of microcosm of saying, ‘oh, we can do something about [child abuse], and we can do something about it really, really, really quickly,” he said.
“And in some ways, that’s correct, but it also makes for incredibly powerful TV, and that’s when it gets into slightly dicey territory.”
Stefania D’Alessandro/WireImage/Getty Images
When asked whether he thinks attitudes towards entertainment have now changed, Pattinson paused.
“I think on mainstream TV, but then it’s just been replaced,” he replied, pointing out that similar content has since appeared on social media.
“That’s why I was interested in the show, because I could see the beginning of a new wave of ‘predator catching’ in pretty much the same format that it was in the early 2000s,” he said. “And I was just interested as to why that was happening.”
“And it got bigger and bigger and bigger, and now it’s one of the most massive things on social media.”
Lia Toby/Getty Images for BFI
Hansen himself has been critical of the film, calling it “bizarre” and “detached from reality” in a video posted on X.
Addressing his criticisms, director Lance Oppenheim said: “I agree, that was by design.
“I always thought of this movie as more of a fever dream than something that was representational portrait.”
Oppenheim added there was something “ancient” about the desire to watch people getting publicly punished.
“It’s happened for thousands of years,” he added. “I wanted to make something that interrogated that.”
Oppenheim, who is also currently co-directing with Nathan Fielder a highly anticipated documentary about Elizabeth Holmes, said separately of that project: “I want everyone to see it. It’s a really special movie.”
From Twilight to the Oscars?
Pattinson, 40, became something of a pin-up after playing vampire Edward Cullen in the Twilight series, alongside American actress Kristen Stewart.
Before that, he stole young hearts as Hufflepuff hunk Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
He has since starred in major films including Christopher Nolan’s Tenet, as well as a range of eccentric, indie films.
This year, he has been on a roll, with Dune: Part Three still to come.
He’s also got the next Batman film in the pipeline, although production on that has reportedly paused. When asked when they’ll be back to work, Pattinson didn’t give much away (“We don’t know yet, but yeah, working on it.”)
Primetime has also led to speculation that this could be the year that Pattinson gets his first ever Oscars nomination. Is that likely, I wonder?
“I am eternally grateful that I got these jobs,” he responds.
“But then [to have] been able to even do them, this is one of the best years of my life.”
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