You know what I love? Bad movies. Don’t get me wrong. I like good movies just as much as the next guy but there is nothing better than a bad movie. In particular, I enjoy bad movies that think they are good and try to act all serious. So far, the movies I’ve reviewed have either been good or eh, so let’s turn our focus on a bad movie; let’s pick apart Nerve.

Story: Nerve is the movie adaptation of a book by someone I’ve never heard of. The story follows Vee, a girl who is living in the shadow of her slutty best friend and her dead brother (yup they’re pulling the dead sibling card). Her friend convinces her into playing an online game where people are dared to do stunts for cash, and (surprise surprise) it turns out to be evil and she must team up with another player to stop the game once and for all. To be honest, the whole thing is boring and utterly predictable, and the only meaningful scene in the movie is ruined by pulling the whole “they’re actually not dead/they were just faking the whole time” card.

Acting: The ‘stars’ of the show are Emma Roberts and Dave Franco and they’re entirely forgettable. Robert’s performance in Scream 4 was better (and that’s not a good thing) and Franco is just blah at best. The supporting cast follows the lead of Roberts and Franco. Not even Juliette Roberts or that girl from Orange is the New Black can save the day.

Presentation: This is my biggest problem with the film. Because it is an ‘internet’ movie, it feels the need to flash all the information from the computers and phones on screen (i.e. displaying a text conversation on the screen rather than just showing the texts on the phone). While some might feel this is a good way to portray information, it’s not. It only ruins the immersion and when there are a thousand other things going on in the shot, it’s just plain annoying.

Effect: Ok. Despite my other criticisms, the movie does shine through in one place. It really does hit home the idea that we are always being watched. Throughout the movie, the characters are being recorded by friends and strangers and even themselves at times without even knowing it. It also did an excellent job of showing the mob mentality of the internet and how there are times where we as a group just want to watch the world burn. If only it had a better script to help drive home the point.

Other: As I’ve said, the movie is boring. Aside from some interesting critiques on the internet and society to an extent as well, the movie is passable. Perhaps it’s something that might be enjoyed when watching on HBO, but it’s not worth the 10-dollar movie ticket.

Nerve is just a boring movie that thinks it is a big AAA blockbuster and that’s the true shame of the matter. It has so much potential but just fumbles it at every step. Maybe the book is good, but the movie certainly is not.

Story: 4
Acting: 4
Presentation: 3
Effect: 8
Other: 5

Score: 4.8

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