Amber Alert (2024)

Amber Alert (2024)
Directed by: Kerry Bellessa
Written by: Joshua Oram, Kerry Bellessa
Starring: Hayden Panettiere, Kevin Dunn, Saidah Arrika Ekulona, Tyler James Williams

Tough subject + absurd moments = thoroughly daft, enjoyable thriller….

As the summer blockbusters 0f 2024 now begins to fade, having seen Apes rule their kingdom, Twisters causing mayhem, viewers riding and die alongside the Bad Boys, Hugh and Ryan saving Marvel and Michael Keaton rising from the grave in a much long awaited sequel, its always nice to sit down and watch a film that has no hype, no expectancy and something you can basically leave your brains at the door, switch off and just enjoy.

AMBER ALERT despite its tough subject matter ticks all those boxes, a thriller that you dare not to stop and think of the stupidity on show, instead willing yourself to just sit back and go along with the the ride, simply because its well made, with a cast giving it their all.

If Michael Mann can remake LA TAKEDOWN as HEAT then director Kerry Bellessa can do the same with her 2012 found footage film called…..err…..AMBER ALERT. Yes. this has the same narrative, but removes the “Why don’t you just put down the camera?” route and plays it straight, more polished and at times quite gripping to the cause, feeling like a forgotten 90s movie, which adds to its charm.

The opening moments is perhaps the darkest and quite frankly scariest part of the entire running time as we watch a black Toyota Camry, circling the streets, eyeing up children, like a shark in the deep sea seeking out its prey. Its frightening stuff as it enforces the viewer to realise that many abductions are just by sheer chance, that one moment where a parent takes their eye off their child and suddenly a worst nightmare becomes a reality.

That’s what happens to poor Charlotte, an eight year old who during an innocent game of hide and seek with her brother, is snatched, the moment caught by her mother who was taking a photo and soon an AMBER ALERT is issued for people to keep an eye out on a car matching that description.

At that same moment, a running late Jaq (Hayden Panettiere) flags down an off-duty rideshare and begs the driver, Shane (Tyler James Williams), to take her to where she needs to go. He reluctantly agrees and soon as they set off, both their phones “ping” with the alert and soon after Jaq spots what they believe may be the same car and decide to follow it, resulting in a gripping set-up that you can’t helped but be swept away with.

With the likes of Saidah Arrika Ekulona, a police dispatcher who helps the duo through a phone call and the always reliable Kevin Dunn as the Sergeant, its basically a long chase movie, held down at times by unnecessary back stories for both Jaq and Shane that spoil the momentum and the tension building that remarkably it somehow generates.

This is not high art with the plot reaching some illogical moments and the climax which switches from car to basically a house of horrors is nothing but an A-Z checklist of how to end thrillers, but for what its worth, AMBER ALERT whose film title is inspired by a true life tragedy, is a mixture of elements where there are hints of darkness and horror which will make you think, before switching to total nonsense action fare, but with all these combined, its never boring or dull and serves up a perfect recipe of watchable silliness.