On July 27, a new action-thriller called "Nerve" starring Emma Roberts and Dave Franco hit movie theaters. The movie, which is based off of Jeanne Ryan's novel, is about an online game called Nerve in which players are given dares for money by "watchers" who pay to watch the game live. The game uses players' social media profiles and internet history to gain information that the watchers use against them when giving dares. The dares start off easy and for little money, but get increasingly dangerous and difficult while offering bigger payoffs as the game goes on. Players must film themselves performing the dare via their own phone in order to complete and receive money for it. If players fail to complete a dare or choose to "bail" (reject it), they immediately lose all the money they've earned up until that point. The only true way out is to win.
***Spoiler Alert!!!***
The main character Venus known as 'Vee' (Emma Roberts) is a shy high school senior from Staten Island who plays life by the rules. Her best friend Sydney (Emily Meade) on the other hand is the complete opposite: bold, attention-seeking and slightly obnoxious. Syd introduces Vee to "Nerve," and has gained a popular following via the game. She antagonizes Vee and insists that Vee doesn't do anything adventurous or take any risks. Out of spite, Vee signs up for Nerve and is dared to kiss a stranger at a local diner. The stranger ends up being another player called Ian (Dave Franco), who teams up with Vee upon the watchers' request. They ride into the city on Ian's motorcycle and take on dares together, each one more thrilling than the last. Vee finds herself in trouble when she becomes a prisoner of the game, and the only way out is to win. It takes a dark turn when Vee and Ian make it to the final round. The situation becomes life-threatening when watchers vote to have Vee killed. Ultimately, no one is hurt and the game gets hacked and shut down by Vee's friends, but the message the movie sends is an important one.
Overall, I enjoyed the movie. It was fast-paced and thrilling. The soundtrack and cinematography were amazing and it was fun to watch. Emma Roberts and Dave Franco had great chemistry and carried the film well. Not only was it entertaining but also extremely relevant. It made me wonder: could something like this exist in real life? how far would people go for money and internet fame? In a society in which Pokemon Go has taken over the world and in which people are hyper-obsessed with social media and public image, the potential for a game like this to exist and become popular in the near future isn't unrealistic.
This movie demonstrates the dangers of the internet (as cliche as that sounds) and the potential harm it can cause when people have the ability to hide behind the mask of anonymity and say (or in the movie's case, dare) whatever they want. It also shows the risks of putting oneself in the public's eye. In the film, Vee and Ian become internet famous for the dares they do together and gain a large following. People have access to their personal information and can use that information against them (as is true in the real world with social media). Their popularity also makes them a target for cynical and twisted watchers.
The most important statement and message the movie sends is that there are two types of people in this world: watchers and players, or bystanders and up-standers. There are also prisoners, whether they're prisoners of the demands of society, poverty, or their own minds- whatever the case may be. This message is also a moral one: don't be a bystander in situations of injustice. I found this film as whole to be a powerful reflection of the type of world we live in which we are so desensitized to seeing violence in the news and media that it has little emotional effect on us if it doesn't relate directly to our lives. We all take part in what happens in our lives, communities, and society.
All in all, this movie made me think. Which one are you, a watcher or a player?
