Robert Pattinson’s 'Primetime' is set to be the year's most unlikely menswear film
R-Patz suits up as “To Catch a Predator” host Chris Hansen
EVERY SO often, a new film enters the menswear canon. Last year’s A24 table tennis epic Marty Supreme was a recent example, with Timothée Chalamet’s wife-pleasers and Fifties tailoring sending waves of men to Uniqlo in search of pleated trousers and knitted vests. Previously, Knives Out earned its place in the style hall of fame thanks to Chris Evans’ chunky knit. Call Me By Your Name, another Chalamet hit, had men wearing short shorts in the summer of 2017. I can’t remember many lines from The Banshees of Inisherin, but I do remember the knitwear. Historically, films that have become almost as famous for their wardrobes as their plots include The Talented Mr Ripley, The Thomas Crown Affair and American Psycho.
Now we’re predicting A24’s next release will join them. Crime thriller Primetime, which stars Robert Pattinson as To Catch a Predator host Chris Hansen, lands in late September, and today’s trailer offered a first look at what’s in store. To Catch a Predator followed Hansen as he went undercover to expose alleged sexual predators. It ran from 2004 to 2007 and, despite lasting just 20 episodes, became a cultural touchpoint for the reality TV age. In other words, expect plenty of people to be watching.
As a broadcast journalist in the early 2000s, Hansen dressed exactly as you’d expect: sharp business suits, button-down shirts and conservative ties. But the looks he brought out for his undercover sting operations, including trench coats and other disguises, have gained a tongue-in-cheek fandom online. One look in particular – his “Riverside sting turtleneck” – has achieved cult status.
Reddit users have described it as “peak Chris”, with one writing, “Turtleneck Chris had the highest power level.” Another fondly remembers “trenchcoat Chris when he caught Ryan Hogan or suit + sunglasses on the beach when he caught John Donnelly”, while another simply declared: “Turtleneck Hansen looking fresh as phuc.” One fan even joked: “The real reason Papi said ‘oh shit’ is because he was mesmerised by Chris’ drip.” Whatever you think of Hansen himself, his wardrobe clearly left an impression.
To get into character, Pattinson has assembled a pretty enviable wardrobe of his own. In the trailer he wears an oversized camel trench coat that looks straight off an Armani runway. His taupe suits are broad-shouldered and unapologetically corporate, with more than a hint of American Psycho. He has fun with the details, too: polka-dot ties that could have come straight from Tie Rack, crisp cobalt and gingham shirts, and tailoring that feels quietly reminiscent of Auralee, the Tokyo label making some of the best understated menswear around. In one scene, Pattinson layers white and black crew-neck T-shirts beneath an open shirt and a suit jacket; in another, he wears Hansen’s signature turtleneck under a suit. It’s just good clobber – the sort men will inevitably want to copy.
Pattinson isn’t the only one dressed well. Skyler Gisondo, who plays the young decoy used in the television stings, also gets some standout looks. His wardrobe is more casual than Pattinson’s, but no less considered: a vivid green polo worthy of Polo Ralph Lauren in one scene, and a retro scarlet jacket in another.
None of this is especially surprising when you consider the costume designer is Alex Bovaird, whose work on The White Lotus turned Jennifer Coolidge’s holiday wardrobe into a character in its own right. With Primetime, she looks to have pulled off the same trick again. Expect the film to inspire plenty of menswear chat long after the credits roll.
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