In recent years, the film industry has seen a surge in true crime adaptations, where filmmakers draw inspiration from real-life events to craft compelling narratives. One such film that has caught the attention of audiences is “Amber Alert.”

‘Amber Alert,’ co-written and directed by Kerry Bellessa, is a 2012 found footage criminal thriller film that follows a group of close friends, including Samantha, Nathan, and Samantha’s brother Caleb, as they prepare an audition tape for a reality program.

They observe an Amber Alert sign on the highway proclaiming the kidnapping of a little girl and detailing the car as they proceed on the interstate to another location to finish the shooting. After a while, the three friends notice a vehicle on the same route that matches the description of the car on the placard.

When the trio calls the police and informs them of the issue, they are told that they would not be able to reach them until later. As a result of Samantha’s determination to free the small girl from the kidnapper, all of them grudgingly pursue the perpetrator’s automobile, despite the serious repercussions.

Aside from the great onscreen performances by Summer Bellessa, Chris Hill, Jasen Wade, and Caleb Thompson, the thriller film’s found footage-style production and actual subjects depicted, such as kidnapping, may give you the feeling that it is tied to reality. So, shall we see if ‘Amber Alert’ has anything to do with actual life or not?

Is Amber Alert a True Story?

No, the plot of ‘Amber Alert’ is not based on a true story. Instead, the film’s gripping and realistic plot is the result of a combined effort between two talented authors — Kerry Bellessa and Joshua Oram — owing mostly to their imagination and writing prowess.

Any message made by a child abduction alert system asking the public for assistance in locating abducted children and perhaps apprehending the kidnappers is referred to as an Amber Alert. The system was developed in the aftermath of the kidnapping and horrific murder of Amber Hagerman, a 9-year-old girl, and has been in operation since 1996.

AMBER (America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response) quickly became a vital aspect of federal and state regulations aimed at protecting the nation’s children. In reality, there are thousands of missing children, and child abduction incidents are recorded regularly, some of which result in Amber Alerts.

For example, in December 2022, Fayetteville police issued a notice regarding the kidnapping of a one-year-old child, which was alleged to have been carried out by the infant’s 25-year-old father. The cops quickly removed the placard after the child was found safe.

As you can see, there are hundreds of Amber alert incidents each year, therefore it is natural for you to be familiar with the ‘Amber Alert’ storyline. The topics of kidnapping and Amber alerts have been portrayed in many movies and TV series over the years, including the 2016 film ‘Amber Alert,’ ‘Escaping Dad,’ and ‘Amber Alert: Terror on the Highway.’ However, one of the most appropriate instances has to be the 2006 Keoni Waxman film ‘Amber’s Story.’

The biographical crime drama film, starring Elisabeth Röhm, Teryl Rothery, Myron Natwick, and Sophie Hough, portrays the true story of Amber Hagerman, after whom the alert system was named.

Read More: Is Cast Away Based on a True Story?

After two days, the 9-year-old girl rides her bicycle in an abandoned grocery store parking lot, where she is taken and murdered. Following the catastrophe, her mother establishes an alert system for missing and abducted children in order to prevent future tragedies.

As you may have observed, the theme of a little girl’s kidnapping appears in both ‘Amber’s Story’ and ‘Amber Alert.’ Furthermore, the dramatic hunt for the kidnapped females in the two films in question shares certain parallels. Given all of the foregoing, we may infer that, despite containing genuine themes and situations, ‘Amber Alert’ is a work of fiction.