Nerve is very much a product of the 2010s, the internet generation. The premise is simple: There's some online game called "Nerve", where you can be either a watcher, or a player. Watchers pay to watch players, and they can submit dares for the players to complete. Players complete dares to earn money and viewers. If they fail or quit, they don't get the money.
At first the dares start out silly and embarrassing. A cheerleader dared to moon players at a football game. Someone dared to start dancing and singing along to music at a diner. Someone dared to kiss a stranger for 5 seconds.
The dares start getting chained together, and before you know it, Vee and a boy named Ian are dared to do things like go to a clothing store together and wear expensive clothing. However, it turns out that someone is following the players around, and the two find their original clothing and even wallets missing. This forces a comedic sequence where the two rush out of the building in their undergarments hastily trying to get out of there in order to complete the next dare: "Leave the store."
Dares start getting increasingly dangerous, and it's revealed that some people have not only gotten injured, but died from previous dares. Eventually, things get so bad that Vee wants out... but is it too late?
The movie is all about internet culture. Some of it portrayed accurately enough - live chats show the kinds of things you'd expect Millenials to say (complete with emoji! 😂) and yes, you see that a lot of the viewers are total assholes who have no regard for the lives of the people playing. Considering the type of harassment we're seeing on the internet these days, I do find that part sadly believable. Along with the idea that many of them seem to relish in ruining people's lives for the lulz. Hell, one of the dares is to start a fight between two people and ruin a friendship!
Other parts are a bit implausible or downright dumb. The premise leaves a lot to be desired in the believability department - I can understand the police being unaware of the game and what's going on with it, but I have a hard time believing these players accumulate viewers as quickly as they do. Especially considering most of the movie takes place in a single night. The computer/phone usage is a mixture of true-to-life and Hollywood. Later, when hacking is involved (of course), it gets even dumber. And the ending is so stupid it's actually rather funny if you're in the mood for it.
Don't look here for a story of something that could actually happen in real life. Rather, we've got a story about a premise that's basically people's modern fears - people doing stupid things for internet fame, internet users who don't give a damn about other people's well-being, scary new teen trends that adults and police don't understand - and it creates something semi-realistic but very Hollywood (even if it is based on a novel). It's stupid, but it's fun.
Film Yes, it's absurd. Just turn your brain off and enjoy the fun.
Nerve is very much a product of the 2010s, the internet generation. The premise is simple: There's some online game called "Nerve", where you can be either a watcher, or a player. Watchers pay to watch players, and they can submit dares for the players to complete. Players complete dares to earn money and viewers. If they fail or quit, they don't get the money.
At first the dares start out silly and embarrassing. A cheerleader dared to moon players at a football game. Someone dared to start dancing and singing along to music at a diner. Someone dared to kiss a stranger for 5 seconds.
The dares start getting chained together, and before you know it, Vee and a boy named Ian are dared to do things like go to a clothing store together and wear expensive clothing. However, it turns out that someone is following the players around, and the two find their original clothing and even wallets missing. This forces a comedic sequence where the two rush out of the building in their undergarments hastily trying to get out of there in order to complete the next dare: "Leave the store."
Dares start getting increasingly dangerous, and it's revealed that some people have not only gotten injured, but died from previous dares. Eventually, things get so bad that Vee wants out... but is it too late?
The movie is all about internet culture. Some of it portrayed accurately enough - live chats show the kinds of things you'd expect Millenials to say (complete with emoji! 😂) and yes, you see that a lot of the viewers are total assholes who have no regard for the lives of the people playing. Considering the type of harassment we're seeing on the internet these days, I do find that part sadly believable. Along with the idea that many of them seem to relish in ruining people's lives for the lulz. Hell, one of the dares is to start a fight between two people and ruin a friendship!
Other parts are a bit implausible or downright dumb. The premise leaves a lot to be desired in the believability department - I can understand the police being unaware of the game and what's going on with it, but I have a hard time believing these players accumulate viewers as quickly as they do. Especially considering most of the movie takes place in a single night. The computer/phone usage is a mixture of true-to-life and Hollywood. Later, when hacking is involved (of course), it gets even dumber. And the ending is so stupid it's actually rather funny if you're in the mood for it.
Don't look here for a story of something that could actually happen in real life. Rather, we've got a story about a premise that's basically people's modern fears - people doing stupid things for internet fame, internet users who don't give a damn about other people's well-being, scary new teen trends that adults and police don't understand - and it creates something semi-realistic but very Hollywood (even if it is based on a novel). It's stupid, but it's fun.