Robert Pattinson responds to criticism of his "starkly disturbing" true-crime thriller

Primetime star Robert Pattinson has addressed the criticism regarding the true-crime thriller, with the actor sharing that he is "surprised" by the amount of discussion surrounding the highly-anticipated film.

The crime thriller charts the production of To Catch a Predator, a reality series from Dateline NBC which depicted sting operations. Pattinson portrays Chris Hansen, the charismatic host of the series.

Directed by Lance Oppenheim from a screenplay by Ajon Singh, the film has generated much discussion around its depiction of events, with Hansen in particular being critical of how he's portrayed in the narrative.

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Speaking to ABC News, Pattinson has spoken about the matter, saying: "He's a public person. He is also just being asked about it. It's kind of, I mean, I get it. But I’m surprised about the level of traction that everything gets."

"The fact that people are still discussing the ethics of it, of a 20-year-old TV show, I mean it's absolutely insane," added the actor, who also serves as a producer on the highly-anticipated project.

Skyler Gisondo, who plays "Decoy" Dan Plumb in the film, said: "Having more distance from it now, I see that clearly, just the contrast of how serious this subject matter is and then the outlandishness of the kind of setup of the show."

Despite some controversy over the portrayal of its subject matter, Primetime has been widely acclaimed by critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the true-crime thriller has an impressive approval rating of 86% from 125 reviews.

"Primetime recounts how this show didn't create a sense of collective bloodlust, it just rode a wave that was already there. Then it tells us we're free to go, knowing what awaits us right outside the front door," opined Rolling Stone.

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"Closer to a grotesquery, it foists us into a nightmarish carnival of irresponsibility, with Robert Pattinson as its clownish master of ceremonies," noted Slant Magazine, while Houston Chronicle called it "riveting" and "starkly disturbing".

BBC.com was full of praise for Pattinson, writing: "The key could be that Pattinson never asks us to sympathise with the character. In fact, he seems happy for us to loathe him... This is the best performance yet from the most intriguing actor of his generation."

Primetime is out now in the US, and is released in the UK on 30 October.

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Reporter, Digital Spy George is a freelance writer who specialises in Movies and TV. After graduating with a degree in Film Studies and Journalism from De Montfort University, in which he analysed the early works of Richard Linklater for his dissertation, he wrote for several websites for GRV Media.  His film tastes vary from blockbusters like Mission: Impossible and John Wick to international directors such as Paolo Sorrentino and Hirokazu Kore-eda, and has attended both the London and Berlin film festivals.