Prime Time - SPOILER-FREE Review | Sundance 2021
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Directed by: Jakub Piątek
Written by: Jakub Piątek, Łukasz Czapski
Starring: Bartosz Bielenia, Magdalena Popławska, Andrzej Kłak, Małgorzata Hajewska-Krzysztofik, Dobromir Dymecki, Monika Frajczyk
Runtime: 93 min
Synopsis: New Year’s Eve 1999. Twenty-year-old Sebastian (Bartosz Bielenia), armed with a gun, hijacks a TV studio and takes two hostages—a famous TV presenter and a security guard. His plan? No one seems to know, including Sebastian himself. His demand to deliver his message, whatever that may be, via live broadcast is repeatedly thwarted by an uncertain police force and an egotistical network chairman. As the night wears on, Sebastian and the hostages bond in unexpected ways, while those in power fumble to restore order.
I can’t recall the last Polish film I saw or even if Prime Time is the very first. Regardless of that, the straightforward premise is interesting from the get-go, and it doesn’t waste any time, putting the viewers inside the action almost instantly. The initially suspenseful, tense atmosphere gradually becomes lighter and less threatening as the characters interpreted by Bartosz Bielenia, Magdalena Popławska, and Andrzej Kłak begin to understand each other. At first, this makes the hijacker and the hostages incredibly intriguing characters since the viewers still don’t know anything about them.
Unfortunately, as time goes by, little do the viewers end up actually discovering about them. Sebastian gets a decent development that helps the viewers anticipate the last few minutes, but it still falls short of what’s necessary for a supposedly nerve-wracking thriller. The TV presenter lacks depth and the security guard barely even speaks, turning the viewers’ possible connection to the characters very hard to achieve. The bond that these characters create is so mysterious and seemingly unjustified that it just makes the predictably underwhelming ending even worse.
The social commentary is explicit, and I do quite like its message - too attached to the ending, I would spoil it - but it’s the deficient storytelling that takes the viewers and the characters through a rollercoaster missing crazy loops and adrenaline-fueled falls. Jakub Piątek’s direction shows hints of his talent, but it lacks energy. Finally, his screenplay co-written with Łukasz Czapski holds an attention-grabbing premise and an exciting first act, but just like every other component, it loses gas quite quickly, culminating in an emotionally unimpactful yet somewhat fitting climax.
Final Thoughts
Prime Time boasts an intriguing premise and an extremely engaging first act, but it loses this initial energy as time runs by, ending with a predictably fitting yet underwhelming final act. Despite the good performances from the cast, Jakub Piątek and Łukasz Czapski’s screenplay places the three characters at the center of the story, but they lack compelling and more in-depth development, making it challenging for the viewers to establish any sort of connection with the protagonist(s). Its message is more than clear, and it’s quite satisfying, especially considering it indirectly builds that final moment. However, the path that the viewers need to walk to get there might not be as entertaining and thrilling as one would expect.
