Nerve

Josh is a guy full of anxiety issues. Has problems talking to people and just social situations in general. His coworker, Aurora is working on a psych paper that's all about social anxiety. She decides to use Josh as a guinea pig and in the process frees him from a lot of his troubles. However, there's many catch 22's. And it's the catch 22's that's the overwhelming bulk of the film. I wont say anything else. But i will say I enjoyed the film quite a bit. Imagine a low budget indie version of Punch drunk love, except the lead isn't violent at all. In fact, he's quite an innocent guy, which is where some of the humor comes from. Although the film can be a bit funny at times, I'd definitely say it's a drama for sure.

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

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.

A shy young man in Los Angeles agrees to be the subject of a grad student's dissertation paper.

"Nerve" (2011) is an indie written & directed by one man, costing only $27,500, which is surprising given the professionalism of the proceedings. The male protagonist, played by Tyler Langdon, comes across as a combination of Emilio Estevez and Chris Evans. Meanwhile winsome Laura Alexandra Ramos plays the raven-haired, dark-eyed female protagonist and is, for me, the main highlight.

It's quirky and spiced with subtly amusing bits. The story could've gone over-the-edge with a thrill or two, but the writer/director decided to keep the happenings mundane with the (presumed) perception that less is more. There are enough understated insights to make it worth a second viewing down the line.

It runs 1 hour, 23 minutes, and was shot in Los Angeles.

GRADE: B-