Hayden Panettiere and Tyler James Williams Search for a Kidnapped Girl in Amber Alert Trailer (Exclusive)

Hayden Panettiere and Tyler James Williams are pulled into a dangerous plot in Amber Alert.

PEOPLE is exclusively debuting the first trailer for the thriller, directed by Kerry Bellessa and also starring Saidah Arrika Ekulona and Kevin Dunn.

"An ordinary ride-share becomes a high-stakes game of cat and mouse when Jaq (Panettiere) and Shane (Williams) receive an alert of a child abduction on their phones," a synopsis teases.

"Quickly realizing they are behind a car that matches the description of the kidnapper’s, Jaq and Shane desperately race against time to save the child’s life."

Panettiere, 34, says she's "excited for people to see this film because it’s an edge-of-your-seat, suspenseful thriller that keeps you guessing at every turn."

"I can definitely say that I’ll never look at an Amber Alert the same way again after filming this movie," she adds.

Williams, 31, says the movie "will keep audiences on the edge of their seats." The Abbott Elementary star adds, "The stakes couldn’t be higher."

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Director Bellessa tells PEOPLE of Panettiere, "We’ve never seen Hayden in this type of role before."

"She brings such strength, innocence and depth to this thriller," he adds. "They are going to get to see her in a new way, and it’s a lot of fun."

The director praises the Nashville alum for how she "comes into projects with a warmth and openness, wanting to connect and leave everything out on the table."

But fans of the actress "should know her character isn’t all that she seems," Bellessa adds: "There’s a specific scene where both Hayden and Tyler share about their background, and it’s beautiful and heartbreaking."

Amber Alert is in theaters and on demand Sept. 27.