Robert Pattinson as Chris Hansen in ‘Primetime’
A24
A second Robert Pattinson meme has hit the timeline—social media, it seems, just can’t resist a good line delivery from The Drama star.
What Is Robert Pattinson’s ‘To Catch A Predator’ Meme?
Pattinson’s latest viral clip is plucked out of A24’s Primetime, starring Pattinson as Dateline NBC’s Chris Hansen (former host of To Catch a Predator).
When the first trailer for Primetime was posted online, commentators knew that they had been blessed with another perfect reaction clip from Pattinson, the star smugly saying to a suspected sex offender:
“You see how this looks, right?”
The trailer shows off Pattinson’s uncannily accurate impression of Hansen, and gave commentators a solid meme template.
Film buffs used the clip to joke about suspicious movie preferences, or to reference the unfortunate fate of Coyote vs. Acme, a live action/animation hybrid famously scrapped before release by Warner Bros. for tax purposes, sparking fierce online backlash.
The Pattinson clip quickly turned into an ace in the hole, commentators responding to the meme with an identical repost, the same clip endlessly spammed across social media.
Oddly enough, this is the second time in the last two weeks in which Pattinson has gone viral with a memorable one-liner.
Robert Pattinson Keeps Inspiring Memes
When it comes to memes (and compelling performances), Pattinson is on something of a roll—a short clip of The Odyssey star demanding “Somebody get these beggars out of here!” spread across the internet right after the release of Christopher Nolan’s hit blockbuster.
The Odyssey saw Pattinson play Antinous, the slimy, insecure suitor who can’t pull off a successful palace coup.
In Primetime, Pattinson’s Hansen is in full control—in fact, the trailer explicitly frames him as a predator, maybe even the titular predator of his show.
Pattinson delivers the line with a smirk, in the manner of a man who already knows the outcome of the situation, sparking meme magic.
The double whammy of two Pattinson line deliveries resulted in some interesting cross-pollination across X (Twitter).
What Is The Plot Of A24’s ‘Primetime’?
Primetime is directed by Lance Oppenheim, marking his feature film debut (the director was previously known for his documentary filmmaking).
Primetime is set to take a critical look at Chris Hansen’s To Catch a Predator, which used adult “decoys” posing as online children, tasked with exposing suspected pedophiles attempting to lure children into statutory rape.
The series took place in a sting house and featured Hansen calmly confronting alleged child predators who were not expecting an adult to be home, let alone a full film crew.
These men would be thoroughly exposed and shamed by Hansen, before being handcuffed on camera.
While the show’s set-up would often lead to arrests, the premise proved controversial and was often accused of being exploitative, turning a serious societal scourge into reality TV spectacle.
Critics questioned the approach of the show, noting that public humiliation and entertainment seemed to be the main priority, rather than building a solid legal case against these men.
Primetime will be released in theaters on September 25, but the trailer has proved surprisingly impactful—fans are already making edits of the film.
Hopefully, Primetime lives up to the hype.
If the film ends up a disappointing flop, at least the internet has the perfect reaction meme, ready to be deployed.
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