Despite only running between 2004 and 2007, To Catch a Predator had an indelible impact on popular culture. Fronted by the journalist Chris Hansen, the 44-minute episodes became must-see TV, as law enforcement set up sting operations around the US to lure sex offenders into the open using actual minors as decoys. The series was also directly responsible for the suicide of a government official, who shot himself shortly after the production team arrived at his house. Soon after that, the show was cancelled, but the genie was out of the bottle.
Such a fascinating and formative example of the True Crime Industrial Complex seems ripe for appraisal – in Predators, documentary filmmaker David Osit tracks down some of the people closest to the source, including former child decoys, arresting officers, influenced imitators and even Hansen. Osit is largely observational at first, content to let his subjects talk candidly about their memories and perception of the series. Many still see it as a watershed moment for children’s safety, highlighting the dangers of unchecked social media use for children where anyone on the internet could be harbouring ill intent. It’s uncomfortable and often disturbing viewing, but Osit’s unsentimental, self-critical and refreshingly thoughtful approach makes Predators one of the most valuable entries into a saturated genre, prioritising ethics over emotion.