‘Amber Alert’ Review – A Less Demanding Remake of the 2012 Found Footage Movie

In 2012, Kerry Bellessa’s Amber Alert was not well received by critics and viewers, particularly because of the main characters and the choices they made. So it was surprising when the same director returned twelve years later with what is essentially a remake of a rather divisive movie. The plot is, more or less, the same this time around, but a few creative changes make this new version of Amber Alert more watchable.

Like in the original movie, this new story happens over the course of one night. And the first significant difference between the two versions — apart from the obvious change in filming style — is the cast. Instead of three friends tailing a potential kidnapper, Hayden Panettiere (Scream 4, Scream 6) and Tyler James Williams (The Walking Dead) play total strangers. Jaq (Panettiere) is late for a date when she flags down Shane, an off-duty rideshare driver played by Williams, and convinces him to drive her to her destination. The eponymous alert has since been issued, following a fresh abduction, and Amber Alert starts to pick up speed.

If you’re already familiar with the previous Amber Alert, you can quickly gather how this remake will play out. Not word for word, of course, but it comes close at times. Several scenes are recycled with minimal adjustments, although now supporting characters, such as an emergency dispatcher (Saidah Arrika Ekulona) and a cop (Kevin Dunn), are given facetime and more interaction with the leads. That Bluetooth plot device is also kept intact. What is different, however, is the dynamics between the rescuers. As opposed to the clamoring carload before, Jaq and Shane are comparatively calm.