“The Desperate Hour” is a 2021 thriller directed by Phillip Noyce, starring Naomi Watts as Amy Carr, a recently widowed mother. The plot unfolds in real time as Amy, while on a jog, learns of an active shooter situation at her son’s school and races against time to save him.

The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2021 and was released in the United States on February 25, 2022. Critical reception was predominantly negative; it holds a 27% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 15 reviews, with an average rating of 4.4/10. Critics criticized the film for exploiting real-life tragedies and lacking genuine thrills.

For a visual preview, you can watch the official trailer here: