The “Nerve” of that movie. Stressing me out, making me consider what I’d do in such dire situations for a lot of money. Be it kissing a stranger, or something more dangerous like bungee jumping from a bridge (is that even legal?), stealing and expensive item, and on the list goes. What's the purpose? To gain viewers, attention, stardom and cash? I could write directly about the movie but i'm sure no one wants to read an article full of spoilers. After watching Nerve (a movie I highly recommend seeing; especially for millennials), a thought crossed my mind: would I be a watcher or a player?

Henry Joost and Ariel Shulman's film Nerve, is about a social media game called, you guessed it, "Nerve," where there are "watchers" and "players." Taking place in a different city every year, the game has different players compete for viewers and money. The two finalist players left at the end face off to win "Nerve." Players must film themselves completing the dares assigned to them in the amount of time allotted to each competitor. If you fail or bail out of a dare, you lose the game. It's all about who has the most "nerve." The main characters in the movie are Ian, played by Dave Franco, and Vee, played by Emma Roberts, both players of Nerve. The watchers are are those who are on the app but do not play the game themselves. Watchers choose the dares and film the players as they compete for fame and fortune.

Being a watcher has little risk, but with no real reward. A watcher gets to choose the next dare for the players while hiding behind a screen name, not having to incriminating evidence against them for any possible crimes. They get to watch the players be pawns, dancing monkies all for the watcher's amusement. Imagine having no repercussions for watching people do the unimaginable for money and being able to influence how the game turns out. That sounds pretty enticing.

Being a player, on the other hand, has a lot of risk but with much more rewards than a watcher. They get the viewers, the money, the fame--but a lot of what players do is probably illegal which can end you up in jail, failing the game, and losing it all. There’s a lot of risk involved and it’s also for glory and the admiration of many people. Players are the puppets controlled by the puppet master watchers. There are no limits to what sort of dares watchers put up for a challenge. But if a player succeeds, they've won it all. Glory, money and fame…who wouldn’t want that?

I think a lot can be said about a person by which they’d be: a watcher or a player. Perhaps the quiet and shy individual secretly wants to break out of their shell and be a player, no longer afraid of risk. The super bold daredevil may want to sit on the sideline with the feeling of power in ultimate control. After thinking deeply about this conundrum, I figured out that I’d be a player, embracing the risk that could get me jailed, killed, or glorified. Though perhaps I wouldn’t be too keen on a certain dare because of one reason or another (fear of heights for one) but maybe I’d try to get over it. The point is, it's not about desiring a thrill, but desiring something rich in expirience.

Honestly, I’m the sort who acts confident but is plagued by self-doubt, but with no regrets. A game like Nerve, where I'd have to do insane dares with great rewards, could get me to go out and do things I’d otherwise never do, such as like kissing a stranger. Being a watcher would be, to put it bluntly, too boring; I’ve always been a sideline kid. Keeping myself safe from harm and able to control the outcomes of my actions. But where’s the fun in control if you're watching others have fun? Not to say that I would act brash or overly confident as a risk-taking player, but I’d certainly enjoy playing while it lasted.

I’d recommend checking out the movie Nerve because it’s a lot of fun, even if it stressed me and my friends out just watching it. It has some first class acting and the writing isn’t forced. The plot never dragged on and you feel like you are partnering with these characters while they risk life and limb for fame. The idea of the game is very exciting and i'd challange each of you to think while staring at the big screen of this fantastic film, "Am I a watcher, or a player?"