“Stunning." -- RogerEbert.com

"Absolutely fascinating." -- Rolling Stone

"Brilliant. Measured, nuanced and finally gut-punching." -- Variety

One of the outstanding documentaries of recent years, PREDATORS is an unmissable look at an early-00s media sensation that presaged our current digital dark age.

David Osit (director of the excellent Mayor) tells the story of To Catch a Predator - a segment on the NBC investigative show Dateline that ensnared sex offenders and lured them to a film set, where they would be interviewed and arrested while cameras rolled. The show was a hit and transformed its host Chris Hansen into a moral crusader and TV star, while spawning a worldwide industry of imitators and vigilantes. But why did we watch so voraciously — and why do we continue to devour its web-based, clickbait-driven offshoots?

There have been other attempts to reckon with our obsession with true crime in recent years, but PREDATORS is more humane than any of them - which makes it all the more disturbing. The film reveals the grubby tactics and questionable targets of the show - not to mention those of Hansen's amateurish imitators, one of which we see ineptly trying to catch his own predators - but also asks bigger questions about how media sensationalism represents a tragically lost opportunity to understand why these crimes come about. 

Especially in his gripping and strangely moving final showdown with Hansen, Osit exposes the moral rot at the heart of our media with the help of a beautifully judged, patient cinematic style. 

Doors open 30 minutes before advertised start time. All film screenings are ad-free and 18+ unless otherwise stated, and start with no more than a 10 min selection of trailers. 

The Cube is a membership venue, please remember to bring your card. You can join on the door for £1.