- Published
Robert Pattinson is having quite the year.
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Pattinson → publish → year
The British actor has already starred opposite Zendaya in The Drama, and played a key role in summer blockbuster The Odyssey.
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actor → star → 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.
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he → take → Predator
The show, which aired from 2004 to 2007, involved hunting alleged child abusers.
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which → air → abusers
For Pattinson, who became a father almost three years ago, the film's plot is particularly concerning.
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plot → become → Pattinson
"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.
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he → happen → Festival
"It's the most unimaginable sin possible," he added.
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he → add → ?
The new A24 crime thriller depicts the show's host, NBC journalist Chris Hansen, carrying out sting operations on would-be predators.
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host → depict → predators
But it also led to questions over where to draw the line between investigative journalism, police activity and reality television.
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it → lead → journalism
Speaking on Sunday night, Pattinson reflected on the show's complicated legacy.
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Pattinson → speak → 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.
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he → say → it
"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."
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it → make → territory
When asked whether he thinks attitudes towards entertainment have now changed, Pattinson paused.
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Pattinson → ask → entertainment
"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.
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content → think → 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.
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he → see → 2000s
"And I was just interested as to why that was happening."
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that → happen → ?
"And it got bigger and bigger and bigger, and now it's one of the most massive things on social media."
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it → get → media
Hansen himself has been critical of the film, calling it "bizarre" and "detached from reality" in a video posted on X, external.
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Hansen → call → X
Addressing his criticisms, director Lance Oppenheim said: "I agree, that was by design.
"
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that → address → design
I always thought of this movie as more of a fever dream than something that was representational portrait."
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that → think → something
Oppenheim added there was something "ancient" about the desire to watch people getting publicly punished.
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people → add → desire
"It's happened for thousands of years," he added.
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he → happen → years
"I wanted to make something that interrogated that."
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that → want → 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.
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everyone → co → it
Pattinson, 40, became something of a pin-up after playing vampire Edward Cullen in the Twilight series, alongside American actress Kristen Stewart.
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Pattinson → become → Stewart
Before that, he stole young hearts as Hufflepuff hunk Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
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he → steal → Fire
He has since starred in major films including Christopher Nolan's Tenet, as well as a range of eccentric, indie films.
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He → star → films
This year, he has been on a roll, with Dune: Part Three still to come.
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Dune → come → roll
He’s also got the next Batman film in the pipeline, although production on that has reportedly paused, external.
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production → get → that
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."
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We → ask → it
Primetime has also led to speculation that this could be the year that Pattinson gets his first ever Oscars nomination.
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Pattinson → lead → nomination
Is that likely, I wonder?
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I → wonder → ?
"I am eternally grateful that I got these jobs," he responds.
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he → get → jobs
"But then [to have] been able to even do them, this is one of the best years of my life."
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this → do → life
The Aporia
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