Rating: ★★★½☆ (3.5/5 Stars)
Released 09-27-2024
Watched 10-03-2024
Reviewed 12-11-2024
Rented From Amazon Prime
"What the hell happened to the 8-minute rule? "
"Amber Alert" (2024), directed by Kerry Bellessa, skillfully blends suspense and tension into a gripping suburban thriller. Set in Louisville, Kentucky, the film opens with Monica Bryce (Katie McClellan) and her mother Gail (Claire Slemmer) enjoying a carefree day at the park when everything turns dark. A black Toyota Camry, circling the area, kidnaps Monica’s seven-year-old daughter Charlotte. The panic sets in immediately as Monica catches the abduction on Gail’s phone footage. The problem? No clear license plate and a Camry, one of the most common cars on the road. This frustrating lack of evidence forces Sgt. Phil Casey to issue the Amber Alert reluctantly, setting the stage for an intense race against time.
Meanwhile, Jacqueline “Jaq” (Hayden Panettiere), an everyday woman who misses her Uber, enters the plot as she convinces another driver, Shane (Tyler James Williams), to give her a lift. The tension ratchets up when the Amber Alert pings her phone, and she spots a similar black Camry nearby. Acting on gut instinct, Jaq persuades Shane to follow the car, plunging both into a perilous game of cat and mouse with a suspected kidnapper. As Jaq’s suspicions grow and the tension mounts, the film keeps viewers on edge, wondering if they are making a huge mistake or uncovering a dangerous criminal.
Bellessa crafts a suspenseful story, leveraging the everyday paranoia of suburban life. The performances of Panettiere and Williams bring depth to the ordinary people caught up in an extraordinary situation, as they follow their instincts despite the risks. The film excels in its “creepy factor,” especially with its shadowy antagonist Aaron, who manages to toy with the characters while keeping them in doubt.
However, the film's pace slows at times, and the plot occasionally veers toward predictability, but it never loses the audience's interest. Despite not being heavily promoted, the film succeeds in creating a tense atmosphere that feels uncomfortably real.
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