Nerve

Nerve is a sharp, fast-moving dive into the unraveling mind of a quiet man trying to hold himself together in a world that doesn't seem to notice he's falling apart. At first, it's all low-stakes discomfort awkward work conversations, missed calls, emotional detachment but the film builds quickly into something darker and more unpredictable.

The story kicks off when a colleague decides to use him as the subject for a psychology project. What starts as a well-meaning experiment soon snowballs into a mess of blurred boundaries and rising tension. The film doesn't spell everything out, but it's clear this is someone who's been keeping things buried for a long time and the cracks are starting to show.

What works so well in Nerve is its tone: anxious but energetic, introspective without getting bogged down. Scenes move quickly, characters bounce in and out of his orbit, and reality itself feels slippery at times. It captures that disorienting mix of being overwhelmed yet completely numb, and it does it with just the right touch of humor and unease.

The filmmakers of this indie made the most of their meager budget and came up with a nice story. I came in thinking it was going to be a straight up gritty tale of a social misfit, which I would've liked as well. But I was just as happy to see the story go into areas I had no idea they'd go, and with plenty of verve and style. Mind you the style isn't for everyone. I have a feeling some may feel it's more a required taste if they're looking for that hard gritty feel.

I think it's worth your time seeing how a social misfit deals with his shortcomings in a way I totally can relate to. Everyone does a great job here, even the supporting, homeless characters which in my opinion should have gotten more screen time.

J.R. Sawyers' Nerve is a story about a socially phobic man who has to struggle to overcome his fears. Made on a shoe string budget the relatively unknown actors Tyler Langdon and Laura Alexandra Ramos turn in decent performances, helped by the witty dialog. Yet, I feel if this was made for bigger bucks, it may have turned into something greater. As it is, it's an interesting little indie film with a rather realistic take on mental illness and the way society views people afflicted with it. Good ideas but shaky execution. At times, the acting seems a little unconvincing and forced and I can't help but feel as if it's poking more fun at mental illness and social anxiety in a much more nasty way then it really intends. 4 out of 10 stars

I give it a full 10 stars, because of the quality of the story and production considering their small budget. Though the movie has a commercial feel, make no mistake this is definitely a indie. The events that unfold are unexpected and the structure to the whole film keeps you on your toes. Josh is a man with anxiety problems. like social anxiety, panic attacks, etc. His sole hope for having a normal relationship is with a pretty girl working on a paper about the subject. As the story progresses, to create the family he never had, he begins to invite homeless people into his apartment which upsets his roommie. Things continue to escalate from there as we slowly peel away at Josh's psyche.

Surprisingly engaging film about a guy who deals with his anxiety problems and the result of that. He becomes the subject to a girl's dissertation about social anxiety and in the process falls in love with her. We also see how her treatment and experiments affect his psychology. And it's all very entertaining. Sometimes funny.

As far as the acting goes, I'm not familiar with most of the cast. Though I know Tyler Langdon will soon be in Burt Wonderstone. They all did a great job and even the supporting cast like the homeless people all get plenty of moments to shine. The pace is fast and the movie is under 90 minutes, so the film feels nicely lean which is very unusual for an indie.