This was one of the more forgettable movies I saw "at" Sundance. It's about a man who takes over the set of a Polish show on New Year's Eve 1999. He takes the host and a security guard hostage and demands that the station put him on the air so he can read a message. This isn't on the air live, like in Money Monster. In fact, the entire movie is about him trying to get on the air and the studio and police refusing. The movie refuses to give me anything satisfying to latch onto. The gunman, Sebastian (Bartosz Bielenia) is a black box. It never reveals his motivations or even what he was going to say. With the studio takeover not being on the air, the tension is much lower than if the whole world was able to judge every mistake. It even rotates between the people negotiating with Sebastian, which robs the audience of a developing relationship there. Frankly, I'm not even sure how plausible it is that Sebastian could hold the stage hostage for that long. He didn't really seem to come in with a plan.
I don't see the point in setting this on New Year’s Eve 1999. This could've been set on any day. Not much in the plot becomes more urgent waiting for midnight. There isn't even an artificial complication like Sebastian saying they have until midnight or he kills the hostages.
The premise of Prime Time is a good one. Most of the actors do good work in the movie. I just wish it wouldn't've been so determined to undercut expectations. Jakub Piatek built a high concept thriller. Milk it for all its worth. This isn't the time for restraint.
Verdict: Weakly Don't Recommend
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