Nerve Summary & Review
You never really know what the Internet is going to come up with next. One little thing that even has the slightest level of stupidity becomes a viral sensation. I don’t tend to get wrapped up in these trends. I think they can be a waist of time, especially when they involve something completely stupid or dangerous. However, I went to high school with lots of teens who were obsessed with any trend that was created. This obsession is represented in an extreme way with Nerve, a new film from directors Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman (Catfish, Paranormal Activity 3 and 4), and based on the novel by Jeanne Ryan. This film follows Vee (Emma Roberts), a timid high school student who gets caught up in an online game called Nerve. Nerve is a dare competition where players are given tasks by viewers, which range from simple pranks to death-defying stunts. As she begins the game, she teams up with Ian (Dave Franco), another player, and the two journey through New York City completing dares. Soon, it becomes clear that the game is more demented than they thought, and they must survive the sick minds of the watchers in order win. So, how does this techno-thriller hold up?
What I liked about it:
– Some of the action scenes were very effective. They were filmed in ways that made me feel as terrified as the characters looked.
– While I don’t think Emma Roberts is the best actress, I thought this was one of her better performances.
– I enjoyed Dave Franco. I think he’s a pretty good actor, and he always seems to have fun in the roles he plays.
– I loved the color palette of the movie. Everything was very vibrant and nice to look at.
– I loved that it was a physical representation of how hiding behind anonymous usernames allows people to be vicious and demented.
– The ending was very satisfying. I won’t spoil anything, but I loved how everything wrapped up.
– It had an atmosphere similar to the MTV mini-series Eye Candy, which was one of my favorite shows of 2015.
What I didn’t like about:
– I started off like any young adult thriller.
– There wasn’t a lot of character development. Emily Meade, who played Vee’s best friend, comes off as your basic, unlikable, fame-obsessed teenager.
Conclusion:
Nerve started off a bit 50/50, but I ended up liking it. What started as your basic young adult thriller soon became a very tense and engaging film. In a way, Nerve is a more dangerous version of Pokémon Go. I know people are not getting dared to do things with that game, but it is one of those “stare at your phones all the time” games, and people are ending up in dangerous situations because of it. It’s one of the many reasons why I will never play it. Overall, I enjoyed Nerve, and definitely want to watch it again when it comes out on DVD.
