David Osit's new documentary, Predators, presents a grimly compelling and profoundly troubling examination of reality television's obsession with hunting down potential sex offenders.
The Dark Mechanics of a TV Phenomenon
The film focuses on the infamous American series To Catch a Predator, which broadcast from 2004 to 2007. The show operated on a simple, cruel formula. Actors, posing as teenagers, would lure men to a suburban house. Upon arrival, journalist Chris Hansen would emerge to confront them with transcripts of their explicit online conversations.
Osit, who begins the film as an offscreen narrator before becoming a visible participant, admits he was an avid viewer in his youth. He details the ritualised humiliation: the targets would typically break down, pleading for mercy, only to be subjected to a final theatrical twist. They were told they were free to leave, then immediately arrested by waiting police officers collaborating with the production.
From Entertainment to Tragedy
What was once marketed as entertainment—late-night host Jimmy Kimmel once gleefully called it the "funniest thing on television"—is revealed in stark, uncomfortable terms. The documentary forces viewers to confront the human cost of this televised revenge. The situation is shown to be far from funny, particularly when the film highlights a case where a suspect committed suicide upon the arrival of law enforcement.
This tragic event underscores the dangerous consequences of blending law enforcement with prime-time entertainment.
A Mise en Abyme of Modern Cruelty
Predators expands its view to include modern-day vigilantes who create similar content for YouTube, filming their own confrontations. The documentary poses a critical question: how does this ritualised public shaming actually help prevent child abuse or lead to meaningful change?
Osit's work suggests we are trapped in a hall of mirrors, a cycle where predators are hunted by morally indignant camera-wielding vigilantes, who are in turn documented by filmmakers. It creates a mise en abyme of despair, where the lines between justice, entertainment, and exploitation become dangerously blurred.
Widely tipped to be one of the best nonfiction films of the year, Predators is a crucial and disturbing watch. It will be released in UK and Irish cinemas from 14 November.
