A rideshare becomes a dangerous pursuit when they spot a possible abductor’s vehicle. A film by Kerry Bellessa, starring Hayden Panettiere, Tyler James Williams, Saidah Arrika Ekulona, Kurt Oberhaus, Katie McClellan, and Kevin Dunn.

The film opens with a view from inside a black sedan, slowly cruising through various neighborhoods, presumably searching for a potential victim. The car passes several groups of children before finally coming to a stop next to a girl who is walking alone on the sidewalk, absorbed in her phone. Suddenly, the black car speeds away as the driver notices the girl’s mother nearby.

Jaq (Hayden Panettiere) uses the rideshare app GoWhere to book a car for her appointment in Hurstbourne, Kentucky. After waiting just a few minutes, the impatient driver decides to leave. As Jaq steps out of the building, she watches in frustration as her ride pulls away. Checking the app, she realizes the next available car is 10 minutes out, meaning she’ll definitely be late for her appointment.

Rideshare refers to a service or network that facilitates the arrangement of shared transportation, typically using a smartphone app or website. It allows passengers to connect with drivers of privately owned vehicles who offer rides, often for a fee.

Suddenly, another rideshare car pulls up, dropping off a passenger right in front of Jaq. Seizing the opportunity, she approaches the driver, Shane (Tyler James Williams), and quickly explains her situation, pleading with him to take her into town. Shane initially refuses, insisting that he’s done accepting bookings for the day because he has an appointment in Middletown. However, Jaq persists, pointing out that they’re practically going the same way. She sweetens the deal by offering a generous tip, ultimately persuading Shane to take her to Hurstbourne.

Meanwhile, a little girl named Charlotte (Ducky Branson) is abducted while playing hide-and-seek with her younger brother Henry, in the community park on Centennial. Charlotte’s mother Monica Bryce (Katie McClellan), becomes terrified when she notices that in the video clip her mother Gail (Claire Slemmer), shot of her and her young toddler, the back of Charlotte is accidentally caught standing next to a black Toyota Camry.

Upon realizing that Charlotte is missing, Monica calls 911 to report the abduction, providing every detail she can remember about Charlotte’s appearance, including the color of her dress, socks, and shoes, as well as the black Toyota Camry she believes took her daughter. The 911 operator, Cici (Saidah Arrika Ekulona), relays this information to her supervisor Sergeant Phil Casey (Kevin Dunn), suggesting that they issue an AMBER Alert. However, without a license plate number, Phil refuses to request an AMBER Alert, asserting that the Toyota Camry is one of the most popular makes and models in the country and that they would be flooded with calls about every black car resembling a Toyota.

The AMBER Alert system is a public notification program designed to rapidly disseminate information about child abductions. It aims to engage the community in the search for missing children who are believed to be in imminent danger. The term AMBER Alert stands for America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response. It was created as a legacy to honor 9-year-old Amber Hagerman, who was abducted and murdered in Arlington, Texas, in 1996.

Monica decides to visit the police station to speak with Phil face-to-face, bringing a snapshot of a black car and a photograph of Charlotte. She pleads with him to help her find her daughter and eventually convinces Phil to request an AMBER Alert. Phil personally assigns Cici to handle all the calls about Toyota Camrys, which will be routed to a dedicated line. Cici expresses her concern about Phil’s unusual order, questioning how she can manage this all by herself. However, Phil insists and suggests that she should talk fast.

Jaq and Shane receive an AMBER Alert on their phones. Suddenly, Jaq spots a black car matching the description of the abductor’s vehicle, which looks just like the picture in the alert. Although Shane initially dismisses Jaq’s concern, asserting that it’s a very popular model and they have likely passed five Camrys without noticing, he decides to follow her lead after she suggests that the car right in front of them could be the one. Jaq calls 911 and instructs Shane to make sure that no other cars get between them, as she will need to report the license plate number. However, her call is put on hold due to high call volume.

Jaq’s call is eventually connected to Cici, and she tells her that she is behind a Camry with dark windows. However, the tint is so dark that Jaq cannot confirm if there is a child inside the vehicle. After Jaq reports the license plate and Cici notes her location, Cici disconnects the call to handle the next one in the queue. Fortunately, the black Camry comes to a stop at a red light. Jaq asks Shane to move their car and pull up next to the black Camry so she can see inside. Suddenly, the Datatronics LED sign changes to display “AMBER ALERT: BLK TOYOTA CAMRY LIC: #,” and the black Camry abruptly speeds away. Suspicious, Jaq urges Shane to follow the car.

Directed by American filmmaker Kerry Bellessa from a screenplay he co-wrote with Joshua Oram, AMBER ALERT is a thriller with a promising premise: two ordinary people decide to embark on a heroic mission to save an abducted girl they don’t even know.

The narrative starts strong with views from inside the assailant’s perspective, whom we initially don’t see. This gives an enigmatic and mysteriously sinister vibe as we’re fully aware of what he’s about to do, and I can’t help but be intrigued by his method.

The story then turns into a race against time, as the first 24 hours are crucial for rescuing the child alive, with her survival rate diminishing as time passes. Supporting characters like Cici and Phil help ground the narrative by reacting as real police officers would.

I liked how the film revealed the abductor’s face and showed the confrontation between our protagonist and the assailant, but it felt like this happened too early in the story. Also, the movie loses some of its tension when it cuts to those wide drone shots from high above the cars. These distant aerial views tend to slow down the pace a bit.

The film sometimes looks overdramatic in certain aspects. For example, Jaq’s laser-focused determination to save the girl based solely on her observation and intuition, or Shane’s lack of confidence yet active participation in following Jaq’s suggestions. The film also attempts to add traumatic backstories to justify their actions, but these feel unnecessary. We don’t need more trauma or background information; it’s just odd that two strangers would suddenly share their pasts with each other.

The final act feels rushed and messy, keeping the film from reaching its full potential. It’s hard to understand why the assailant would leave a revolver in the house or what his actual intentions were. None of it makes much sense. To top it off, it’s absolutely insane that the protagonists decide to break into the assailant’s house, fully aware that he might be armed and dangerous.

AMBER ALERT received a limited theatrical release in the United States on 27 September 2024 and was simultaneously made available on VOD on the same day.