Is 'Primetime' worth watching? Robert Pattinson is 'dizzying'

Primetime, Robert Pattinson's latest movie, has already made headlines — and it's not even out yet.

Opening in theaters Friday, the movie, inspired by Chris Hansen's investigative show To Catch a Predator, received a seven-minute standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival, where it premiered earlier this month, and has been criticized by Hansen on several occasions.

Plus, it stars one of the most talked-about actors of the moment, Pattinson, who is having something of a career-defining year thanks to his roles in The Drama, The Odyssey and Dune: Part Three (due for release in December).

It's definitely got everyone talking, but does that make it a movie to watch? Here's what the critics say.

🎭 Cast: Robert Pattinson, Merritt Wever and Skyler Gisondo

🍅 Rotten Tomatoes critics' score: 90%

A psychological thriller, Primetime is inspired by Hansen's controversial reality show that aired on NBC in the 2000s. It drew a large audience for its televised sting operations, in which Hansen confronted men who believed they were meeting minors for sex. They were almost always arrested. The program faced legal and ethical scrutiny and ended after just 20 episodes.

The movie is set in 2006, with Pattinson playing Hansen at a moment when the program is promoted to a primetime slot. Hansen and his ambitious producer, Andie Bender (Merritt Wever), become increasingly fixated on ratings and on securing major targets.

The story builds toward a Texas operation involving a politically connected target, while highlighting the toll the show takes on young-looking adults posing as minors to lure suspected predators to houses where Hansen confronts them on camera.

What critics did and didn't like

BBC Culture's review focused almost solely on Pattinson and called him "extraordinary" and his performance "dizzying." Critic Nicholas Barber wrote, "He seems to delight in playing unsavory characters — and because he enjoys it so much, so do we." Barber said the movie is "sure to be an Oscar contender" but acknowledged it may be a controversial one.

Vulture also lavished praise on Pattinson and wrote, "It's a stunning demonstration of the actor's range, and watching the film, you can't imagine any other performer of his generation pulling it off." Critic Bilge Ebiri also praised Wever's "astonishingly good" performance, along with the direction and visual treatment.

While Time praised Pattinson, calling his portrayal of Hansen "disturbing and weirdly alluring," the magazine wasn't as positive about the movie in general and said Pattinson's performance is "one of the only reasons to see it." Critic Stephanie Zacharek was confused by the film's aim and criticized Lance Oppenheimer's direction. She said Oppenheim "structures the film as if he were shaping a mosaic from disorienting shards; sometimes the scenes feel jaggedly disconnected."

Ben Croll of TheWrap acknowledges immediately in his review that this would be a divisive movie. While he admired the movie's craft, conviction and Pattinson's "gonzo" performance, he was ultimately left feeling detached rather than swept up by it.

The Guardian called Primetime a "strangely overwrought and heavy-footed drama-thriller." The reviewer questioned the movie's goal and wrote that it is "unsure what it wants to say about media or morality."

Pattinson's performance is the strongest reason to see it, particularly for viewers comfortable with disturbing subject matter.

But the storytelling may frustrate you because some critics found the scenes disjointed and the film's message unclear.