Nerve (2016)
- During the filming of Nerve, Emma Roberts improvised one of the most famous lines in the movie.
- Before Emma Roberts was cast, several major A-list stars turned down the lead role because they felt the script was too risky.
- Eagle-eyed viewers have noticed a hidden easter egg referencing Henry Joost, Ariel Schulman's previous film in the background of the opening scene.
Nerve is a 2016 American techno-thriller directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman, based on Jeanne Ryan's 2012 novel. Emma Roberts stars as Vee, a cautious high school senior in New York City who impulsively signs up for Nerve, an online truth-or-dare game where anonymous watchers vote on increasingly dangerous dares for players to perform in exchange for cash prizes. Partnered with the mysterious Ian, played by Dave Franco, Vee's dares escalate from kissing a stranger to riding a motorcycle blindfolded through Manhattan traffic, as the game's algorithm learns to push participants toward their deepest fears while the watching audience's mob mentality demands ever more extreme content.
The film was a prescient exploration of social media mob dynamics, internet anonymity's capacity to enable cruelty, and the gamification of human behavior โ themes that have become even more relevant in the years since its release. The neon-lit New York City night photography gave the film a visually electric energy. Nerve earned $85 million worldwide on a $19 million budget.
