NERVE REVIEW

*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

There couldn't be a more perfect timing than to release Nerve in the midst of all the 'Pokemon Go' hype. The film surrounds a modern day New York City where everyone has become obsessed with the latest app, 'Nerve'. A person chooses whether to be a player or a watcher. If they're a player, they must accept and perform the dares in turn for money. Watchers pay an online subscription and choose the dare. 

The film focuses on Vee (Emma Roberts) who, after being provoked by her friend Sydney (Emily Meade), becomes a player in Nerve. Her first dare is to kiss a stranger for five seconds. That stranger happens to be Ian (Dave Franco) who is also another player. The scene where the two meet plays out like a romance and the two develop chemistry straight away. The watchers dare the two to drive out into the city together on Ian's motorcycle. This may seem like a load of fun but it isn't long until the dares become scarier and the pair are soon risking their lives.

Like I said earlier, this is the perfect time to release Nerve. This film perfectly captures how caught up in technology and social media we have become. In one scene, two characters are risking their life while, at the same time, people are filming it rather than helping out or trying to stop it. It also makes us think at what we would do in a similar situation. Would we play or would we watch? Or, alternatively, would we try and avoid the whole thing altogether?  Unfortunately, the latter isn't really an option as it's impossible to avoid the game. This is very similar to the Pokemon Go hype. Personally, I don't have the app as it isn't something I'm interested in but it's really hard to avoid it. While the two apps aren't similar at all, I think this film will definitely make people think twice about using Pokemon Go.

The acting is great. The two recognisable names are Emma Roberts and Dave Franco. I've always liked Emma as an actress and I think she's grown since she first started out in comedy. It's not hard to believe that she's Julia Roberts' niece as she is just as talented as her famous auntie. Her portrayal of Vee is really likable as, in the beginning, we see her as a bit of a wallflower and introvert but, after meeting Ian, she comes out of her shell. Dave Franco brings charm to Ian and brings comic relief to the film in the beginning after one of the watchers dares him to perform and lip synch to a song in a diner in front of everyone. However, after Vee's friend discovers something about him, we become suspicious of him yet we never dislike him as we know that there's more to it. The rest of the performances come from unknown names but they all give strong performances. 

I wouldn't recommend this film to the lighthearted. Many of the dares are full of tension as we never know if they're going to make it or not. One dare that stood out to me was the one where a young woman walks across a ladder to another house. I had no idea if she was going to survive the ordeal which made this film even more compelling to watch. 

Overall, Nerve is a exciting and action filled thriller with strong performances from its two leads.

7/10