Why don’t you take a seat right over there? From 2004 to 2007, “To Catch a Predator” shocked viewers week after week as the show’s host, Chris Hansen, confronted adult men who believed they were meeting up with a minor. Most know the format by now, and it has, unfortunately, inspired a number of copycats, many with even less oversight than the original.
If you know the dark backstory behind why the original show shut down, you’ll also understand why copycats are very troubling. But if you don’t know the story, there’s a new documentary where you can learn all about the rise and fall of the original series — this one is aptly named “Predators.” No, it’s not a new “Aliens” franchise movie, though “Predator: Badlands” should be available to stream soon and “Predator: Killer of Killers” is available over on Hulu.
This “Predators” — the one explicitly about the NBC reality TV series — is also rising through the streaming ranks quickly. The documentary “Predators” made it all the way to the top spot on Paramount+. The Rotten Tomatoes reviews make it clear that its popularity isn’t a fluke, either. It has a 99% on the Tomatometer from critics, setting a high bar as far as documentaries go. Some of those reviewers called the doc “revelatory and brilliant,” “distinctively powerful,” and “very compelling.” Of course, not all the reviews are glowing. Some says it’s “a little self-important” or pretentious and dragging in length. Whether you find it fascinating or worth a watch may depend on how you feel about the original series, but that’s a given.
What is Predators about?
Director and producer David Osit actually got the idea for the documentary after browsing a fan community on Reddit, which included watching unaired footage from the show. He said that after watching some of the predators in the raw, unaired footage, he felt bad, which “never happened with the show,” presumably because of what was aired and how it was shot. The raw footage, by comparison, “gives us room to meditate on what we’re looking at,” according to Osit.
The documentary explores the show’s troubling legacy. Where do the true justice and law enforcement measures end, and where does entertainment come into play? Did Chris Hansen openly act as a journalist, or had he deputized himself alongside the police, who were usually lying in wait for the predators? Also explored is the concept of copycat predator chasers, namely on YouTube and public streaming platforms.
If anything, it’s an interesting take on the show, its impact and what that represents on a broader scale. If you’re interested in watching “Predators,” it’s available to stream on Paramount+. It should be available in the U.S. and internationally in select locations. If it’s not available for you, you may be able to use a VPN to watch, provided you have a Paramount+ subscription.
