Robert Pattinson’s new movie, Primetime, is set to catch a Rotten Tomatoes record.

The upcoming A24 biopic is based on NBC’s infamous series, To Catch a Predator, where Pattinson transforms into the host Chris Hansen, who investigates and catches child sex predators. The story will be loosely based on Esquire‘s article “Tonight on Dateline This Man Will Die,” recounting the death of Bill Conradt and its aftermath. Now, ahead of its release at the end of the month, Primetime premiered at the Venice Film Festival, where critics shared their verdict on the crime thriller.

With 20 reviews, Primetime debuts with a stellar 95% on Rotten Tomatoes. However, the score will fluctuate as more reviews are tabulated. For now, the new A24 thriller is Pattinson’s highest-rated live-action movie ever and breaks the record that was set by The Odyssey‘s 93% this past summer.

Primetime reviews nearly unanimously praised Pattinson’s performance and Lance Oppenheim’s direction. Critics lauded the leading actor’s intensely erratic, yet electric portrayal of Chris Hansen, showcasing his descent into madness as his dark show consumes him. Additionally, Pattinson’s mannerisms and voice of Chris Hansen were described as uncanny.

Meanwhile, Oppenheim’s feature debut delivers a stylistic examination of the show’s dark past that edges between gritty thriller and horror with grainy visuals that complement its time. Merritt Wever and Phoebe Bridger earned praise, while Skyler Gisondo’s decoy was the standout performance among the supporting cast.

Pattinson’s chances in the Best Actor race just got better for the upcoming award season in what is already a busy, yet successful 2026. With the addition of Primetime, the respected actor is currently on a hot streak, as A24’s The Drama and The Odyssey also earned critical acclaim. After the upcoming crime thriller, the actor, who’s already created a strong reputation for his versatility and challenging roles, closes out the year with Dune: Part Three, in which he plays the antagonistic role of Scytale.

While the movie has caught audiences’ attention and even inspired memes over the line, “You see how this looks, right?” Primetime‘s upcoming release isn’t without challenges. The real-life Chris Hansen, who wasn’t involved in the movie, has been outspoken in recent weeks about his thoughts on Pattinson and the footage released so far.

Regarding the Primetime trailer, the former host stated that “It looks very dramatic. I know [Pattinson] is a popular actor, and I know the director is a popular guy. I also have some questions: What’s Hollywood’s motive here?” While speaking with Entertainment Tonight, Hansen opined that Pattinson’s portrayal was “a pretty good imitation,” though “overly dramatic.” He also believed Denis Leary was his preferred casting choice.

The To Catch a Predator host also confirmed that A24 offered him a private screening to watch the movie. However, he refused, alleging the condition was to sign a contract that would “take away his name, image, and brand, essentially, as well as any potential legal rights that would come out of the movie.” Meanwhile, Hansen also purchased pre-show ads for every Primetime screening that direct audiences to his streaming service TruBlu.

Pattinson and Oppenheim have responded to Hansen’s statements. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the filmmaker was “excited to hear what he has to say about it” if the host chooses to watch.

At the Venice press conference, the Batman actor hopes Hansen ends up liking the movie. He then continued, “I never really set out to make a movie about Chris Hansen. I would hope in some ways, like, the amount of inspiration that his character has kind of given certain people who are involved in this [film] for like years now, I hope is some kind of compliment.” Pattinson is also one of the movie’s producers.

Primetime will be released in theaters on September 25, 2026.