Movie Review: Amber Alert (2024)
Heartbreaking at times and will definitely make your nerves go up, you can check out my full review for Amber Alert (2024) below!
Movie Blurb
Jaq (Hayden Panettiere) has just gotten off of work when she gets a ride from Shane (Tyler James Williams), who is working as a ride-share driver. While they are are on the way to Jaq’s destination, they get an Amber Alert on their phones right when they drive up next to a car with the same description in the alert. Jaq, determined to make sure that it isn’t the kidnapper, asks Shane to follow the driver. What ensues is a fast-paced and terrifying ordeal that just might change them both forever.
Review | Heidi Dischler
Here I am on a pretty chill Saturday morning watching a movie that made my nerves bad as hell. Did I enjoy the movie? Yes. Do I also have an irrational fear of bad drivers and car accidents? Also yes. So, this movie had me wanting to pick up a bad habit like chewing my nails. I’ll go into all the details about what I liked and didn’t like below.
So, as far as characters go, I loved Williams’ character, Shane. I liked him way more than Panettiere’s character, Jaqueline. I found her to be slightly annoying and a little over the top. Even if she was actually trailing a kidnapper (but before she actually knows he’s the kidnapper) she was way too into it for me to find it believable. Does anyone in their every day life just decide, hey, I’m gonna follow this car because of an Amber Alert? If people do this on a regular basis, then I’m sorry for being skeptical. But honestly, I would have called 911 and I don’t think I would have been going all Taken on this vehicle.
In terms of pacing, this movie really did have me on the edge of my seat the whole entire time. I was cringing at all the tire squeaks, closing my eyes each time they ran a red light, and downright tense when it came to “the final battle”. Pacing wasn’t the problem, though.
I think I had the most grievances with the plot. Everything felt so… I don’t know, odd? Maybe it’s because they started following a suspected kidnapper just on the basis that he was driving a Camry (I drive a Camry, so I know how ludicrous this is). Maybe it’s because they went so far as to drop a headphone in this dude’s car that just so happened to work perfectly each time they needed to hear something (I wish my earbuds worked that well). Or maybe is could just be the typical abduction story. I really was waiting for Hayden Panettiere’s character to have this killer backstory that made her want to chase this vehicle, but that’s not the case. I was really let down by the lack of…. oomph.
Overall, though, it wasn’t the worst way to spend an hour and forty minutes of chill time. 3.5 out of 5 stars for me. But I will say this: I definitely will not be the one to do crazy car chases if my nerves are this fried after only a movie!!
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime
