Nerve
Starring: Emma Roberts and Dave Franco
Directed by: Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman
Rated: PG-13
Nerve is David Fincher's The Game updated for the Pokémon Go crowd.
The movie explores the fun, bizarre and dangerous aspects of social media all adding up to a surprisingly relevant take on today's culture. The fact that it was released just weeks after Pokémon Go exploded onto the scene makes it even more significant.
When high school senior Vee (Emma Roberts) is accused of playing it too safe, she signs up for Nerve, a high stakes game of truth or dare...without the truth. She soon finds out that everything she does is controlled by "watchers" in the game. What starts out as a fun night quickly turns dangerous and Vee has to find a way out of the game.
I really didn't know what to expect from Nerve, but I have to admit it was quite entertaining. The filmmakers did a great job of making a relatable and timely premise. I could easily see people playing Nerve today.
Emma Roberts and Dave Franco have great chemistry as Vee and Ian, two strangers who meet through Nerve and embark on a string of dares together.
Every shot of the movie's cinematography showcases New York City as a neon dreamland. The soundtrack is a fitting companion as each track pulses to the beat of the vivid city lights.
While entertaining and thrilling, Nerve does have flaws. The last act could have been resolved in a variety of interesting ways. Instead, it becomes too dramatic and exaggerated for the audience to take it seriously. I really would have liked a bit more closure in terms of who started Nerve. It seems like the movie will eventually build to a reveal of a person/or group of people who started the game, but they are never brought to the forefront. It's a major plot point that's (frustratingly) left completely open ended.
Although it's not perfect, Nerve offers its audience an electronic thriller paired with thought provoking social commentary.
My Rating: 6/10