Jakub Piatek's hostage thriller "Prime Time" adheres to familiar patterns, resulting in a predictable and underwhelming experience lacking originality or excitement. The story unfolds on New Year’s Eve 1999, centering around Sebastian (Bartosz Bielenia), a troubled young man who seizes control of a television studio, holding a well-known game show host (Magdalena Poplawska) and a security guard captive. Like the protagonist himself, the movie appears to lack direction or purpose. Bielenia’s casting as the unstable gunman is effective; his portrayal is both unsettling and heartbreaking. Discovering that Sebastian has endured bullying and mockery from his father shifted my feelings toward him from anger and fear to sympathy. Still, this doesn't feel like a sufficient explanation for his actions, and the absence of any clear reason behind what he did proves disappointing. He seems intent on conveying a message, but its content and intended recipient remain unknown. Various aspects further detracted from my engagement with the film, particularly the illogical reactions of the characters. The police force is portrayed as ineffective; there are numerous opportunities to resolve the crisis swiftly, yet they fail to capitalize on them. Certain actions—or lack thereof—are simply absurd. The narrative progresses at a sluggish pace, eventually gaining momentum only in the final thirty minutes, which arrives too late for "Prime Time" to redeem what preceded it.

Source on TMDB