Lance Oppenheim’s “Primetime,” from A24, is quickly becoming one of the more intriguing wild cards of the fall. In less than two weeks, the trailer has already pulled around 35M views on YouTube, making it one of A24’s most-viewed trailers ever.
Now, trailer views obviously don’t guarantee quality, let alone box office success. But the sheer amount of conversation around this movie is pretty surprising.
The biggest thing “Primetime” has going for it may simply be Robert Pattinson. Coming off “The Odyssey” and “The Drama,” Pattinson is having one of the strongest runs of his career. His public image also seems to be at an all-time high. He’s widely viewed as one of the more interesting actors of his generation, largely because of his willingness to take strange projects and disappear into radically different roles.
The trailer also makes an interesting choice with “To Catch a Predator” host Chris Hansen, portraying him in much more morally complicated terms than you might expect. Pattinson appears to be going all-in with a heightened, highly committed performance. The horror and thriller elements could also be a major asset. If Oppenheim really leans into those elements, “Primetime” could pull in the lucrative genre crowd.
A24 also seems to have timed this one pretty well. The trailer arrived relatively close to release, so the current conversation should still be fresh when the movie opens. And there are at least plenty of anecdotal signs that it has broken outside the usual movie-fan bubble. I’ve heard from multiple people that non-film fans, coworkers, and family members have brought up the trailer.
“Primetime,” which is set to compete at the Venice Film Festival next month, stars Pattinson as Hansen in a highly stylized dramatization. The ensemble also includes Merritt Wever, Skyler Gisondo, and Phoebe Bridgers. The movie has already test-screened a few times, and the early word has been positive — Venice will be the only fest where it will screen as Pattinson is currently in the middle of shooting “The Batman: Part Two.”
Oppenheim is best known for his documentary work, including HBO’s “Ren Faire” and the Sundance standout “Some Kind of Heaven.” Both are visually accomplished non-fiction films, and “Primetime” looks to be another significant stylistic departure.
“Primetime” hits theaters September 25 via A24.
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