It stars Naomi Watts as a woman who is desperately racing to save her child after police place her hometown on lockdown due to an active shooter incident.

[5][6] On Friday, September 24, 2021, recently widowed mother, Amy Carr, decides to take a personal day off work.

She waves goodbye to her young daughter, Emily, who boards a school bus, but discovers her teenaged son, Noah, still in bed, complaining he's ill. Amy takes a jog through the woods, navigating through several routine calls while running.

Shortly after meeting several police cars traveling hurriedly, Amy receives a bulletin on her cell phone reporting all area schools are in lockdown.

The website's consensus reads: "Naomi Watts gives it her all, but The Desperate Hour falls short as a thriller as well as social commentary.

"[7] Reviewer Shubhabrata Dutta of Digital Mafia Talkies described The Desperate Hour as "a film that is based almost completely on phone conversations".