Up until the lousy final act, “Nerve”, starring Emma Roberts and Dave Franco, had my attention. The setting is simple: you play an online game where people dare you to do stuff. Harmless fun? You’d think. Vee (Roberts) is a high school student who finds herself caught up in the thrill of this game. But then things get more challenging. Dangerous dares lead to extremely dangerous situations. You get the point. Luckily, the movie has a few tricks up its sleeves, and in an era where social media brings us all together, “Nerve” wants us to remember that we’re all still basically alone. Directors Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost hit the “preach” button a bit too often, and without shame. But the gimmicks work like a charm, at least until the last half hour where things become a bit too predictable. No worries. If you’re looking for a decent thriller in a summer filled with blockbusters, “Nerve” might just be the movie for you.
Categories: 2.5/4, The Twenty-First Century, thriller