The Desperate Hour Story:-
If your 84-minute film about family struggles morphs into a thriller centered around a school shooting, intertwined with the mother’s disastrous jog and her numerous frantic calls to and from 911, it’s not just in need of a director; it requires a life coach and a personal trainer. As for the audience, they might as well need a hostage negotiator to navigate through the chaos. Amy, portrayed by Naomi Watts, finds herself thrust into a situation where her helplessness seems expected to yield more depth, but unfortunately, it falls short.
Movie Ratings
| Release Date | 25 March 2022 |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Thriller |
| Duration | 1h 24min |
| Cast | Naomi Watts, Colton Gobbo, Andrew Chown, Sierra Maltby, David Reale, Josh Bowman, Edie Mirman, Paul Pape, Ellen Dubin, Zehra Fazal, Alex Paxton-Beesley |
| Director | Phillip Noyce |
| Writer | Chris Sparling |
| Cinematography | John Brawley |
| Music | Fil Eisler |
| Producer | Andrew D. Corkin, Chris Sparling, Alex Lalonde, Zack Schiller, David Boies, Naomi Watts, Chris Parker, Dylan Sellers |
| Production | Untapped, Boies/Schiller Entertainment, Limelight |
| Certificate | 13+ |
The premise is straightforward: Amy, a recently widowed mother, sets out for her morning jog, leaving her son behind, only to discover that his school is under attack. Amidst the chaos, she races towards danger despite injuring her ankle, making desperate calls along the way – to the local mechanic, a friend with a child at the school, and repeatedly to a compassionate Black police dispatcher named Dedra. Watts skillfully portrays Amy’s distress through dropped calls, dwindling battery life, and the frustrations of modern technology.
Yet, despite Watts’ talent, the film struggles to rise above its flawed premise. Amy’s character becomes more irritating than sympathetic, veering into audacious behavior as she coerces others into aiding her quest for answers. The direction by Phillip Noyce, known for his adept handling of suspenseful narratives, fails to elevate the material. The reliance on gimmicks such as offscreen voices and FaceTime calls only serves to cheapen the gravity of the situation, equating the terror of a school shooting with the inconvenience of a dying phone battery.
In essence, “The Desperate Hour” falls short of its potential, bogged down by a flawed script and uninspired direction, despite the efforts of its talented lead actress.
