News Barron

When this film was revealed to be a semi Chris Hansen biopic, I knew it was going to be divisive. After all, pedo hunting online is mostly a complete joke. However, seeing how it used to be properly done is a great thing and honestly the fact that this type of programming is not on television is a crime. Anywho, let's discuss some of the finer points of the film. Why don't you have a seat right over there, and have a fresh cookie while you're at it?

The Good

Starting off I have to say Rob Pat does an insane job at sinking into the character. While he does not exactly look like the irl Chris, he sells it very well with the voice and the subtle mannerisms. To anyone with a brain it is obvious he is playing up the quirks during he goes on the camera so it is easy to excuse the absurdness. After doing further research, it seems the whole affair nonsense is quite exaggerated as well, with the allegations coming 3 years after the airing of To Catch a Predator. The chick who plays the producer (which is a composite of the NBC gaggle of producers) is decent but it's your typical nagging woman character. You might recognize Bokeem Woodbine from season 1 episode 10 of the Sopranos; he plays the Rockwall County chief of police, and when it turns out the pedo they are hunting is the assistant AG, he says quite loudly "DEMOCRAT PIECE OF SHIT" as he cocks a massive pistol. Pretty kek tbh. The film is shot on a 1.50:1 aspect ratio with a grainy quality which really brings you back to that mid 2000s era of television, just before HD hit mainstream airwaves. The decoy dude is fine but really annoyingly steals the spotlight, which is the fault of the film itself, but we will get to that.

The Meh

The film is heavily edited in terms of cuts and jumps so it is pretty jarring at some points. As touched upon above this film really digs into Chris's personal issues and it really seems like an unnecessary hit piece. Yeah he probably is not the best guy of all time and probably fucked around on his wife but the film almost makes it seem he deserved bad things to happen to him. Also as I stated above they definitely played up the neuroticism and quirkiness of the character, which after watching him for a long time, I did not really get the vibe Chris is actually like this. I do not agree with the common sentiment that this film is pedo apologetic. There is no point where they paint these freaks in any good light at all. There is even a moment where a cop goes to Subway and shows a picture of Jared Fogel on the menu. Ok lets discuss the decoy Dan character. It was fine showing the audition and the first few scenes with his friend where he is getting the part and dealing with his first encounter on the show but it really turned into a Decoy Dan film. Instead of showing how the show was cancelled (unjustly at that) or his reaction to the guy blowing his head off, we get a jump cut to a year later where Dan finally gets his SAG card. Who the fuck cares about this stupid guy? He hasn't done shit since this and went on to be a communications professor. We came to see Chris Hansen not some burned out actor who can't get work. That being the end really leaves a sour taste and it is very unfortunate.

The Verdict

I always lean to seeing something on the big screen because everything is better in the theater. However, I can understand if people stay home for this one. I expect Rob to get a best Actor nom at the Oscars.

3.5/5