Nerve

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Kaz O Talk about a great idea with terrible execution, I loved the idea of the movie but became more and more upset and even creeped out when it didn’t reach its potential. With its complete lack of knowledge in anything technological, terrible sub-plots that lead no where, lackluster dialogue, and the main character getting everything she wanted without deserving any of it. However, it is attention grabbing and as a movie it could’ve been way worse. I want to also highlight how most of these characters are underage in the movie but are treated and sexualized like adults which left me more creeped out than anything. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 08/23/25 Full Review barbara H. Love the vibe of the movie. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/03/25 Full Review Matthew D Emma Roberts is very endearing as a shy girl who becomes brave doing perilous dares. Directors Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost’s romantic techno-thriller NERVE (2016) is a huge surprise for me. NERVE is very fun and entertaining with its outrageous concept and great acting. I found Schulman and Joost’s stylish direction very cool, creative, and engaging for a movie that had a $18 million budget. It looks visually like a $200 million budget blockbuster. The use of computer and iphone screens is neat. The vivid neon lighting, sweeping camera movements, frenetic direction, pulse pounding score, cute modern pop soundtrack, emotional arcs, increasing stakes, endearing characters, chic costumes, quaint makeup and hairstyling, funny humor, tender romance, and crafty writing are all impressive. The dress store, motorcycle thrill ride, construction beam, and gun duel finale are all very engaging and suspenseful sequences. I am both intrigued and impressed by screenwriter Jessica Sharzer’s script balancing intimate romance, teen drama, and techno-thriller excitement for our amusement. The original author Jeanne Ryan’s idea of an online game of brave adrenaline junkie players taking dares, while the cowardly thrill seeking watchers decide the dares is interesting. NERVE feels a bit like Sword Art Online, TRON: Legacy, Love Simon, Searching, Missing, and DRIVE at times. I honestly think NERVE is quite underrated by critics and audiences alike. There were no young adult thrillers doing this much experimentation back in 2016, when every YA movie was more like The Hunger Games or Divergent. Emma Roberts is hot, cool, endearing, sweet, sympathetic, brave, funny, and captivating as NERVE heroine Vee. I found Roberts totally alive and willing to bravely get out of her comfort zone for NERVE in a really bold performance. I loved hearing Emma Roberts rapping Wu-Tang Clan’s “C.R.E.A.M.” as she gets a Virginia Woolf lighthouse tattoo in a neon lit New York. She is so enthralling throughout NERVE that I was actually worried for Vee at several points. Emma Roberts should get more lead roles as she really dazzled me in Nancy Drew, Hotel for Dogs, Aquamarine, Scream IV, The Blackcoat’s Daughter, The Hunt, and NERVE. Dave Franco is surprisingly likable and handsome as the charming stranger Ian, who partners up with Vee while playing high stakes dares in NERVE. Dave Franco is vastly superior as an actor to his brother James Franco. Dave impressed me in NERVE, Fright Night, and Love Lies Bleeding. Emily Meade is sexy, amusing, and daring as Vee’s awful best friend Sydney, who only thinks of herself. Miles Heizer is wonderful as Vee’s sweet and steadfast friend Tommy, who yearns for her, but his love goes unrequited. I found him very sweet and engaging as a surrogate for the audience watching Vee’s dangerous dares. He’s Vee’s only friend who really looks out for her. Juliette Lewis is great as Vee’s concerned nurse mother Nancy, who has no idea where her teenage daughter is suddenly getting all this money deposited into her bank account. Kimiko Glenn is pretty and shocked as one of Vee’s friends named Liv. Machine Gun Kelly is odd and freaky as Vee’s main rival Ty in the game. I like the twist with his character that I was not expecting at all. Brian Marc is so lame as Vee’s high school football player crush J.P. Guerrero. Samira Wiley is funny as Tommy’s pal Hacker Kween. Chloe Wise and Casey Neistat get cameos out of nowhere, which really dates NERVE to the YouTube vlogger era. Editors Jeff McEvoy and Madeleine Gavin’s swift cuts make NERVE a brisk 96 minutes. They must have cut through hundreds of hours of phone recordings to stitch this together coherently. Cinematographer Michael Simmonds’ close-up and medium shots look amazing. I was impressed by the sweeping wide shots of New York and all the striking camera moves by operators Petr Hilinomaz and Peter Vietro-Hannum. The neon lighting by Richard P. Ulivella is instantly awe inspiring. There are dozens of very cool and nicely executed practical effects and CGI effects with the phones and computer screens. The stunts are crazy. Composers Rob Simonsen and Declan Rodgers’ exciting synth score is great. I was pleasantly surprised by the 2010’s pop soundtrack featuring anyone from MØ to Halsey. I always like when a movie doesn’t lean into nostalgia for the soundtrack, but rather picks contemporary tracks to give you a sense of that era. The music really helps bring me back to 2016 while watching NERVE. Sound designers Ryan Collison, Leslie Bloome, Daniel Ward, Joanna Fang, Thomas Varga, and Jon Flores capture clear voices among all the New York noise. Costume designer Melissa Vargas’ cute outfits for Emma Roberts are amazing, especially her green dress and her hipster looks. Amy Tagliamonti’s adorable makeup and Jennifer Johnson’s awesome blonde hairstyling for Emma Roberts is outstanding. In all, NERVE is a sheer blast with a formidable and charming lead actress performance from Emma Roberts. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/30/25 Full Review Peter P It was watchable and had some good scenes and exciting engaging parts. but something about the finale and the plot just didnt click and didnt satisfy. 3/5 stars. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 06/06/25 Full Review Jens B Dieser Film NERVT! ...sorry für den gag, ich geh mich vergraben... Rated 1/5 Stars •  Rated 1 out of 5 stars 06/01/25 Full Review Emerson W Decent flick but I just just want to point out how pathetic Tommy and the friendzone is. Truly pathetic. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 04/04/25 Full Review Read all reviews

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