Nerve starring Emma Roberts & Dave Franco Lionsgate Image Credit: IMDB
“A high school senior finds herself immersed in an online game of truth or dare, where her every move starts to become manipulated by an anonymous community of ‘watchers.'”
—IMDB
Are you a player or a watcher? Nerve, based on the novel of the same name, is based heavily on the extreme’s some people take to be YouTube famous. But the film takes it to another level taking the control out of the daredevil and putting it in the hands of watchers, people who control the player and the game, giving them reckless dares that could cost them their lives. For Vee (played by Emma Roberts), becoming a player on Nerve is all about trying to prove herself, that she isn’t just the meek shy girl everyone thinks she is. Thrust into this game of do or die, she meets the handsome Ian (played by Dave Franco), another player in the Game who knows more than he is telling her.
In a high stakes game, the film brings it to life with a high-tension film that really draws the audience into the film. The dares start out small, but then as they begin to escalate, the audience is pushed to the edge of their seats. A riveting film doesn’t stray too far from reality leading to some more outside tension adding to the movie, elevating it from any other typical movie about teenagers. There is a danger in the film that feels very real and that’s because it is. With social media on the rise, this sort of control over people can easily happen if people aren’t careful.
Of course the film takes things to an extreme, as most films with due to add more drama and tension to the film, but there is nothing wrong with that because it still adds to the air of believability. Not to mention that the actors really got to understand their characters and the story well enough to keep the believability within the film. It’s not outlandish, and the acting holds together throughout the entire film which is good. There are some parts that are extreme and outlandish but it doesn’t detract from the overall aesthetic of the film.
Moreover, the style of the film was creative and brought out the internet into the film without taking the viewer out of the film. It moved with the film and allowed for the freedom of camera movement without hindering it. The audience was able to see more of what was going on through the stylistic direction of the film.
Over all it was a decent film, very well made, the only flaw lies with the overly dramatic scenes involving the hackers which would only offend those who know how to actually hack. But again, that was done to keep up the ever increasing pace of the film. At the end of the day, it was full of tension, character development, and decent drama making it worth the watch. (★★★☆ | B-)
