Nerve is a fast-paced, cautionary tale revolving around an extreme form of social media in the teenage universe. The movie’s lead, Vee Delmonico (Emma Roberts), is supposed to be portraying a young and shy teenage girl who too often stays inside the lines. Tired of being in her friend Sydney’s (Emily Meade) shadow, Vee sets out on an adventure — playing a game called “Nerve” — where she meets her onscreen counterpart Ian (Dave Franco). The game basically works as a global “Truth or Dare,” where there are two modes: the player and the watcher. The watcher gives the player dares to do for cash that is immediately deposited into their accounts. Failure to complete the dare results in a “Bail,” and loss of all the money earned. Getting the cops involved results in something much darker, causing the player to be a “prisoner” of the game.

The movie’s release following the recent “Pokemon GO” phenomenon was really a great coincidence. With the media blowing up about a game that’s getting teenagers out in the world meeting new people, and revolutionizing the way we look at gaming, I think that “Nerve” draws a lot of parallels; however, the movie falls short in going into the darker depths of such a dangerous game. The movie briefly talks about a death that resulted from the game, but the focus on consequences are short-lived. The climax in the film turns out to be nothing but a decoy. The story revolved around a love story, which in its own right is great. Regardless, the trailer’s hype for the movie was an insanely different mood than the movie itself. Going into the theater I was expecting a thriller; however, what I watched was a fun and fast-paced romance with a few emotional moments.

That being said, the movie is good when you’re not following the trailer’s set-up. The shaky relationship between Vee and Sydney is developed, the romance between Ian and Vee is surprisingly sensible, and throughout the movie I was entranced. A good movie is one that makes you not want to look away. I felt for the characters, and I found myself longing for a game similar to “Nerve.” For the movie’s target audience, noticeably teenagers, the story is relatable to today’s generations. With an increase in social media validation and desire to be the most viewed, liked, and followed, Nerve incorporates all these elements to craft a compelling story.