Nerve

Based on the novel by Jeanne Ryan, Nerve captures the phenomenon of today's social media climate, where thousands of anonymous voices can determine the future of a few individuals. Industrious high school senior Vee (Roberts) is tired of living life on the sidelines. Pressured by friends to join the popular online game Nerve, Vee teams up with a shy and charming competitor (Franco) for just one dare in what seems like harmless fun. But as Vee is caught up in the thrill of the adrenaline-fueled competition, the game takes a sinister turn with increasingly dangerous acts, leading Vee into a high-stakes finale that will determine her entire future. (Gary Reber)

Special features include Watcher Mode featurettes: Creating Nerve, The Fat Jewish Gets Tattewish, and The Governor's Ball Takeover; Player Mode featurettes: Do You Have The Nerve?, Are You A Watcher Or A Player Quiz, and Player Profiles; upfront previews; and an UltraViolet digital copy.

The 2.39:1 1080p AVC picture is strongly saturated with vivid colors that often pop. Computer screens exhibit brightly colored signage and text. The hues are rich with strong primaries, whether in interior or exterior settings. Fleshtones remain generally natural in hue. Contrast is dynamic with deep, solid blacks, revealing shadow delineation and bright highlights illuminated in spot lighting. This creates a visually engaging experience. Clarity is excellent, as well as resolution, with fine detail exhibited throughout, especially in close-ups. But what is really engaging is the intense colors and the stylish production design accentuated with bright flash lighting. This is a stimulating picture that is colorful in every aspect. (Gary Reber)

The DTS:X/DTS-HD Master Audio™ 7.1-channel soundtrack is dynamic sounding, with all manner of sounds that pop up dynamically in transient moments. Diverse rhythmic music, punctuated with bursts of deep bass, is rather constant throughout and always well recorded. The music occupies a wide soundstage presence that extends aggressively to all four surrounds. Atmospherics and sound effects enliven the proceedings and flavor the soundscapes. Deep bass is mostly associated with the music but is never unnaturally overpowering. Dialogue retains an intelligible presence with decent spatial integration. The anonymous bursts of “You Failed” nicely fills the soundfield with a sense of height. Overall, this is, at times, a lively holosonic® soundtrack with pulsating music that is produced with excellent fidelity and spatial dimensionality. (Gary Reber)