Sign me up. 

That’s the first thing I thought when I saw the logline and stars of Amber Alert, a new release from Lionsgate.  I had a hunch from these sparse clues that this would be a breath of fresh air, an efficient, edge-of-your-seat thriller that knows exactly what it is and doesn’t try to overstay its welcome.  The kind of film they used to make all the time for theatrical and straight-to-video distribution back in the day that was perfect for popcorn gnoshing at the multiplex or all-night B-movie marathons at home with friends.  I continue to lament the demise of the late ’90s and early 2000s high-stakes thrillers because they were so proficient in their mission to entertain.  While there has been a nice resurgence lately, a move like Amber Alert only reemphasizes why the formula worked time after time.

A semi-remake of writer/director Kerry Bellessa’s 2012 found-footage film, this more polished attempt ditches the gimmicks for a gripping narrative with a deceptively simple set-up.  A young girl in Louisville is kidnapped in broad daylight while her mother (Katie McClellan) is distracted, triggering an Amber Alert that goes out to all mobile phones, electronic billboards, email, and traffic-condition signs.  The 911 operator (Saidah Arrika Ekulona), who takes the mother’s frantic call, is tasked by her superior (Kevin Dunn, Thunder Force) to field any incoming calls with possible leads.

Around the same time, Jaq (Hayden Panettiere, Scream VI) has just missed her rideshare to a blind date downtown, but lucky for her, Shane (Tyler James Williams, The United States vs. Billie Holliday) works for the same service and is dropping off his last fare of the day at her location.  With a bit of convincing, Jaq gets Shane to take her downtown, but they aren’t very far when they receive the Amber Alert and realize that they are trailing a car matching the kidnapper’s description.  Following her gut, Jaq asks Shane to trail the car, beginning a deadly game of cat and mouse where the two will face the terrifying possibility that the person driving the car may also be watching their every move.

There’s something icky about stories involving children in peril, and that’s one thing I didn’t particularly care for in the movie.  I get that it brings a different kind of energy/urgency to a film. However, in similar fare like 2013’s The Call and 2021’s The Guilty had 911 operators becoming entangled with the kidnapping of teens/adults, Amber Alert goes quite young. It gives the movie a seedier slant than necessary.  It definitely reinforces Bellessa’s commitment to maintaining tension throughout, keeping the pacing tight and the suspense high.  We aren’t ever allowed to relax for too long, even when taking mandatory rest stops to get to know our main characters as more than just driver and passenger.

It’s a considerable help to the movie that Panettiere and Williams work so well together, instantly creating a screen rapport that feels naturalistic.  Seen less frequently on screen, Panettiere balances her determination with a vulnerability revealed gradually as the film progresses, allowing Williams to trade his trademark levity for a believable and well-conveyed seriousness.  Their dynamic grounds the film, allowing the supporting performances to stand out because the center is so stable.  As the kidnapper (this isn’t a spoiler), Kurt Oberhaus is chilling, and though she doesn’t get a proper send-off, Ekulona’s concerned operator is a calm presence amid a narrative that can often let its fast pace overtake its ability to develop naturally.

Embracing the spirit of the mid-budget thriller that remembers how to keep an audience engaged without having to throw in wild twists or unnecessary filler, Bellessa’s decision to revisit their earlier work has paid off nicely.  The result is a cleaner, far more cinematic feature that retains the raw tension of the original concept and delivers precisely what it promises: a thrilling ride that keeps you buckled in tight. The final act of Amber Alert wanders into familiar territory to this genre, a nervy subterranean chase sequence, but it’s such easy intake fun that you won’t mind going down a well-traveled road.