Those words were memorably said by Chris Hansen, the "Dateline NBC" correspondent who hosted the provocative reality series "To Catch a Predator" during the 2000s.
asserted
who → say → 2000s
Hansen, notably, had zero involvement in the making of A24's new film, "Primetime," which was adapted from a 2007 Esquire article titled "Tonight on Dateline This Man Will Die."
asserted
Man → have → Dateline
In fact, according to Hansen, the studio wanted him to sign a restrictive agreement before showing him the movie, which he refused to do.
uncertain
he → accord → which
After watching "Primetime," you can see why A24 was hoping for a legal cover.
asserted
A24 → watch → cover
Because unless you're Hansen or any other key people involved, it's difficult to know where the reality ends and where the fiction begins.
asserted
fiction → involve → ?
Robert Pattinson steps into the role as Hansen, a self-aggrandizing and rather eccentric journalist eying to be taken seriously by his NBC colleagues — perhaps with the success of "To Catch a Predator."
asserted
To → step → Predator
If you aren't familiar, "To Catch a Predator" exposed men who believed they were meeting minors after sexually explicit online conversations.
asserted
they → catch → conversations
Instead, they walked into sting operations that typically ended with Hansen emerging from another room to confront them before police made arrests.
asserted
police → walk → arrests
Her job is to keep the engine running and to make sure Hansen doesn't drift into a mental abyss.
asserted
Hansen → keep → abyss
It isn't until she and Hansen are brought into the office of NBC chief Jeff Zucker (humorously played by Zucker himself), who informs them he's moving their show into primetime, giving them the daunting task of going up against ABC juggernaut "LOST" in the same time slot.
asserted
he → bring → slot
In "Primetime," the predators are also the prey as Hansen and his team go to incredible lengths to nab a creep, but more importantly, to make great television.
asserted
Hansen → go → television
Some members of the team grapple with the ethics and morality of their line of work.
asserted
members → grapple → work
Hansen, at least the film's version of him, views himself as a saint, carrying out a righteous mission despite his own shortcomings in his personal life.
asserted
Hansen → view → life
But it's far more nuanced for new hire Dan Plumb (Skyler Gisondo), a 23-year-old aspiring actor hired to play a 13-year-old decoy.
asserted
it → hire → decoy
You can tell how visibly shaken he is by the process, and he struggles with whether obtaining the coveted Screen Actors Guild membership card is worth ruining other people's lives for.
asserted
obtaining → tell → lives
Pattinson has had an impressive year between "The Drama" and "The Odyssey" (not to mention "Dune: Part Three" in December), proving he's come a long way from his "Twilight" days.
asserted
he → have → days
He gives a career-best performance as a self-obsessed, borderline unhinged NBC host.
asserted
He → give → host
While he gets top billing, the emotional crutch of the entire movie rests on Gisondo's shoulders.
asserted
crutch → get → shoulders
Best known for his stint on HBO's "The Righteous Gemstones" and more recently playing Jimmy Olsen in the new "Superman" movie, Gisondo is able to show depth from Dan's charming naivety to utter demoralization.
asserted
Gisondo → know → demoralization
Wever also shines as the no-nonsense producer who has to put up with a lot of nonsense.
asserted
who → shin → nonsense
Director Lance Oppenheim's background in documentaries shows in "Primetime" between the reliance on the hidden cameras that only fuels the intensity and the cutaways to various cultural references.
asserted
that → show → references
The low-resolution style takes viewers back to a pre-4K era and the shadows provide a noir element.
asserted
shadows → take → element
What can be viewed as an indictment of how sleazy the television industry can be, "Primetime" isn't exactly the feel-good movie of the year, but it's a riveting thriller that showcases outstanding performances from Pattinson, Gisondo and Wever.
asserted
that → view → Pattinson
"Primetime" is rated R for disturbing sexual material, graphic nudity, some violent content, and language.
asserted
Primetime → rat → material
The Aporia
