Thrillers about kidnappings have long been a part of the entertainment world, with everything from Liam Neeson’s action-focused Taken franchise to M. Night Shyamalan’s chiller Split and Mel Gibson’s nailbiting Ransom being just a handful of examples. Though Amber Alert
may not break new ground with its storytelling or characters, it’s also certainly not the worst the genre has ever offered.
Led by Scream alum Hayden Panettiere and Abbott Elementary‘s Tyler James Williams, Amber Alert centers on Jaq, a woman who gets into a rideshare driven by Shane, a single father who reluctantly takes the job despite being in a rush to see his son. Shortly into the ride, they both get an amber alert about a kidnapped young girl, quickly recognizing a passing car as one suspected of being involved. The movie chronicles the two in their quest to confirm the driver is the kidnapper, and save the girl before it’s too late.
Amber Alert’s Story Could Have Used Some More Originality
Familiarity Isn’t Always A Bad Thing, But It Could’ve Provided More Weight To The Film
Amber Alert‘s main issue is how unoriginal the story is. It’s not always a bad thing, but it is in this case. Interestingly, the movie is a remake of Kerry Bellessa and Joshua Oram’s 2012 film of the same name, with the duo getting a second shot at improving the underwhelming response to their original by moving it away from a found footage format into a more traditional narrative shoot. While the duo has only made one film in the 12 years since, there is certainly a sense of growth in the new incarnation.
The actual direction of the film feels far less DIY and more competent, bringing a nice visual flair to the proceedings and keeping the tension palpable. The actual dynamic between its lead characters is also vastly improved from the original, with Jaq and Shane’s recognition of humanity in one another leading to some affecting moments rather than constantly bickering with one another, despite being in a turbulent situation of trying to save a young girl’s life.
Even still, Amber Alert is never quite able to fully overcome its predictability, or even its implausibility, to make it stand apart from other genre efforts. The idea the police in the film would only assign one officer to the call desk to monitor all tips regarding the alert seems not only foolish, but unbelievable, especially since the mentality is to sort through the large number of tips that could lead to nothing, given the little information they have to go on.
Even still, Amber Alert is never quite able to fully overcome its predictability, or even its implausibility.
This becomes even more questionable as the movie proceeds, and they put more trust in Jaq and Shane’s pursuit rather than take action themselves. There are mentions of contacting other departments to join in the pursuit, and yet not a single police officer is seen being part of the chase until the movie’s finale.
To that end, the finale is where Amber Alert ultimately becomes far too routine for the kidnap thriller genre. If you watched the trailer for the film, which was full of spoilers, the overall trajectory of the movie can be easily determined by those who’ve seen or read about an attempt to recover a kidnap victim. Even with attempts at red herrings along the way, it’s still too easy to determine where the movie is going and, more importantly, where it ends.
Amber Alert’s Direction Keeps The Stakes High & Style Feeling Fresh
Thanks To Ominous Color Palette & Claustrophobic Camerawork
Amber Alert shines in Bellessa’s directorial style for the film. Gone is the stomach-churning shaky cam of the found footage story. There are stationary cameras that allow for a better focus on the actors’ performances. Even the action is generally well shot for an indie budget, with the various chase scenes feeling appropriately fast-paced and nerve-wracking.
Bellessa smartly makes every moment spent with the two in their pursuit feel tense by keeping the camera close on them.
Amber Alert‘s direction works best, however, in just how claustrophobic it is. In a movie that spends most of its runtime in a car with two people chasing down a suspect, it would certainly prove somewhat disappointing if the camera hadn’t made us feel like we were in the car with Jaq and Shane, and Bellessa smartly makes every moment feel tense by keeping the camera close on the characters as they race to determine a plan for how to save the young girl.
Panettiere & Williams’ Performances Are Amber Alert’s Real Saving Grace
The Two Make Their Characters Believable & Easy To Root For
While the rest of the movie may be a mixed bag of mediocre-to-great elements, Panettiere and Williams’ performances are enough to save the day. The duo have a lot of great chemistry, like from the opening moments of their awkward ice-breaking talks about how to approach a blind date and seemingly spending free time playing video games. As we learn more about Shane’s life, and Jaq inadvertently becomes a speedbump in it, the duo finds a way to infuse just as much comic chemistry as drama in these moments.
Beyond just working with each other, Panettiere and Williams are fantastic individual performers, even if Panettiere slightly outshines him. A sense of compassion is certainly felt by both as they try to save the young girl, though when we learn the real reason why Jaq is so invested in the pursuit, Panettiere delivers the reveal with such a raw honesty that is powerful to watch. While the movie may never fully overcome its feeling of familiarity, Panettiere and Williams’ performances truly ground us throughout the tense ride.
Amber Alert will be released in select theaters and on demand Friday, September 27.