REVIEW: Nerve (15)

$200 to go to the city? Seems legit...

Social media – Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Instagram and so on – is now all around us. Some of the generations of humanity remember a time when it didn’t exist – when people sent letters through the post, got birthday cards and a knocked on someone’s door to see them. They didn’t post a status, sent a “selfie” or followed them. Sometimes, because it’s so easily accessible, people think, that by posting something, it’s harmless. But you know what? Social media can be dangerous. And, it can make or destroy you depending on what’s posted. As a blogger and vlogger, I use social media every day to inform and discuss.

But not all of it is great. Sometimes though, something comes out and goes viral. And this could be a meme, a song, a video or… a game. Such examples include Candy Crush, Farmville (am I showing my age here?), Clash of Clans or, more recently, Pokémon Go.

Nerve is a movie all about the above.  Set in the near future, an unknown conglomerate of hidden persons known as the Watchers create a game called Nerve. A cross between Twitter, YouTube and truth or dare, Nerve is a game whereby you can either be a) a watcher or b) a player. If you are a watcher, you pay to watch the constantly streaming show. Apparently it’s $19.99 for 24 hours access which is expensive, I reckon. Anyway, as a watcher you can like the people who play, recommend dares for them to do and post comments as they are doing the dares. If you decide to become a player, then you play Nerve – where you are given a dare to do and if you carry it out you get more likes and a financial reward; but the dares get increasingly stupid or dangerous, but the money goes up. The top liked people get to a “final” where the winner gets to walk away with loads of money, fame and probably a fan club. The players are always being videoed and stalked by the viewing public, and to complete a dare the player has to record the dare on their individual mobile phone or similar. Also, you get quite famous so I guess you could see the appeal.

Now, after explaining all that, young lady Venus (who is known as Vee in the movie cos she’s cool and never uses her full name) is a plain, boring, non-stand out, book reading, non-risk taking young lady. Loving her photography hobby (especially of taking photos of the local football team and one guy in particular) and keeping in the background, she is overshadowed by her best frenemy and Nerve player, Sydney (Emily Meade). Sydney is an interesting character but is someone I think the film wants you to feel sorry for but she is written in a way that is hard to like.

When the gang get together at a local fast food chain, Sydney states that Vee (Emma Roberts) should be a bit more risk taking as you only live once and what have you. Vee is dared by the group to go over to talk to said football blokey but is too shy to do so, so Sydney goes over instead to ask on her behalf. Football boy replied that she’s not his type (he’s stupid – she’s stunning) and this breaks Vee’s heart and she runs for home, both upset at finding his feelings out but also angry at Sydney. In a not quite clear motivation (is it because of her getting back at Sydney or does she want to prove she’s brave or both) she signs up for Nerve and becomes a player.

What follows is a thrill ride backed by a techno soundtrack (which is actually quite good) and outlined in neon. Playing the game of his own accord but crossing paths with Vee is Ian (played by Dave Franco of Now You See Me fame) and both actors have a great rapport with each other. As Vee’s dares start off fairly easy she is knocking them back like no-ones business and is coining it in. But when things start to take a turn for the sinister she breaks the games rules by trying to get the police involved and finds there are not only watchers and players but a third option - prisoners of the game too. How is that for a cautionary tale?

Featuring Juliette Lewis as Vee’s mum as a nice surprise, Nerve is an original, tense action thriller which could have been rubbish but is actually really, really good. The scariest thing about this movie is that it’s so well written that this situation is so close to reality that the scary thing is, this could actually happen.

POPSCORE 8/10

What am I talking about? Nerve movieWhere can I find out more? http://www.playnerve.com/
If you liked this try: Unfriended, Crank, Don't Breathe, Scream 4

Anything else?

Emma Roberts and Emily Meade both starred in a movie called "Twelve" but neither of them shared any scenes.