Robert Pattinson's latest A24 outing is pulling from very real and very uncomfortable television history. 'Primetime' is based on Chris Hansen's real life rise to the top as one of the most famous true crime TV hosts. It is a dramatization built around the show that made him a household name.

The movie from documentary filmmaker Lance Oppenheim follows Chris Hansen in 2006 as he sets out to make television history with 'To Catch a Predator'. The film follows the 2006 launch of the series, which catapulted Hansen into fame. A key moment in the trailer involves a network boss pushing the show into a bigger slot. NBCUniversal chief Jeff Zucker, who plays himself in the film, is heard telling Hansen that America loves the show and that it is moving to nine o'clock primetime. The film also appears to draw on a piece of long form journalism. The San Francisco Chronicle reports it is based on journalist Luke Dittrich's Esquire article about a 2006 sting operation on a Texas assistant district attorney named Bill Conradt.

'Primetime' does not stop at the sting operations themselves. The film fills in background on the show's rise and fall, focusing on an ambitious, egotistical and at least somewhat delusional Hansen, while his beleaguered producer Andie, played by Merritt Wever, struggles to stay afloat in the ruthless world of TV news. The decoys get their own spotlight too. One of them is a performer named Del, played by singer songwriter Phoebe Bridgers, who can impersonate either a boy or a girl. The film also marks Bridgers' acting debut.

Oppenheim said in his director's statement that he wanted to trace the ambitions of a journalistic crusader, a mercenary TV producer and a wide eyed Hollywood dreamer converging into a moment of crisis. Robert Pattinson as Chris Hansen. Pattinson did not set out to play the newsman. Speaking to the San Francisco Chronicle, he said he was drawn to the character even with a packed schedule and a new baby at home. He also credited Hansen's presence with the reason people are still talking about the show two decades later. A24 Critics have zeroed in on the transformation. Little White Lies wrote that Pattinson wears Hansen's skin like a suit, calling his take on the host a career high. The supporting cast is getting attention as well. Merritt Wever, Skyler Gisondo, Phoebe Bridgers and Sean Bridgers all appear alongside Pattinson. Pattinson also produced the film through his company Icki Eneo Arlo, which gives him a hand in shaping the project beyond the performance.