Predators, a Documentary by David Osit, Releases this Month

Blog #4
By: Joan Tabachnick, MBA & Jenny Coleman, LMHC

Predator. This is not a term that you will see spoken by Stop It Now! We believe in the importance of using “person-first language.” In the words of Gwenda M. Willis, “Why call someone by what we don't want them to be?”

What is the documentary Predators, by David Osit, about?

But Predators, a new documentary—which won a number of awards at the recent Sundance Film Festival—uses this term and demonstrates the intended and unintended impact on individuals and families. The documentary is a deep examination of the TV show, To Catch a Predator, the Dateline NBC’s candid-camera investigative series. This TV program was designed to lure adult men who are seeking sex with under-age teenagers into a film set, where they would be interviewed and then arrested while cameras rolled. The show was not only a hit from 2004-2007, but it helped to create a disturbing industry of imitators and YouTube vigilantes.

Why was David Osit inspired to create Predators?

After seeing To Catch a Predator as a teenager, the director, David Osit, was fascinated by the question asked of each person they caught on camera, “What were you thinking?” Rather than the flat expose of “good and evil” that the show promoted, this film takes us on a journey to explore what it means to produce these shows, to watch them, to participate in them as a decoy or to be caught in this web. We often talk about how complex this issue can be, but this film truly captures that complexity.  Just one disturbing example is when a high school senior (18) is caught by “To Catch a Predator” trying to meet up with a 15 year old.  This was illegal in his state. In the film, you can hear the boy sobbing while his mother is being interviewed about the devastating impact of the TV show on the entire family.

Where can Predators be viewed?

The movie will be available in theaters starting September 19, 2025 in the following states:

• California
• Colorado
• Illinois
• Massachusetts
• Missouri
• North Carolina
• Oregon
• Texas

In November, the movie will be available to stream through MTV Documentaries on Paramount. But if you want a taste of this film, it is worth watching this preview. To us, the deeper meaning behind the film can be seen through this compelling interview with the director, David Osit.