The dark side of the internet has proved maddeningly elusive as a subject for cinema. Failed attempts include the clueless Feardotcom, which featured an actual dot that bounced self-consciously around murder scenes; and Chatroom, a teen thriller set in a production designer’s panic attack. It’s no coincidence that Nerve, the most successful attempt at melding the virtual world and the real one so far, was directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman, the film-makers behind Catfish, itself a mind-melting “documentary” that unpicked the myth of online identities.
There’s a genuine spark between Emma Roberts and Dave Franco, playing Vee and Ian, two strangers who find themselves paired in a game of dare called Nerve. Anonymous online watchers set challenges, and the players are handsomely paid for each one they complete. The unblinking eyes of a wall of ubiquitous smartphones capture their every move. New York makes a suitably dynamic backdrop to this high-stakes trial, and the potshots taken against the ugly mob mentality of the anonymous online participants hit their target. Still, the leaps of faith required here are the kind that leave you dangling from a crane with nothing substantial or credible to cling to.
