NERVE: Movie Review!

Rating: PG-13

Release: July 27, 2016

Hello, everybody! Today, I was finally able to head to the theater after long last to not only see a new movie but of course, to see a new book-to-movie adaptation that I've been anticipating for a little while now! I was super excited about this movie after I found out it was based on a book, which you can check out the book review for by clicking the link. So, anyhoo, I just love books and storylines that have to do with games such as Sword Art Online (1st season), The Eye Of Minds by James Dashner, and a few others. I get that players being stuck in a game of a sort isn't the most original idea ever but I still very much enjoy them from time to time.

So, obviously, I had to pick up NERVE and read it because I just loved the synopsis for the book and, well, the movie was coming out soon. I somehow managed to get my brother to read the book after showing him the trailer for the movie and he ended up loving it and we both went to see the movie earlier today and, surprise, I can't decide if I like the book or the movie better. For the first time ever I can't decide if I prefer the book to the movie or not. Like, what is this madness?

There were a lot of changes the movie adaptation made but overall, there was an equal amount of things we both liked about the movie and the book themselves. For starters, even though there were a lot of changes, the movie still kept the main plot points, pace, characters of course, and the themes and dares, even though there were different settings and the dares were different than in the book. Other changes included what our main character Vee is interested in such as in the book, she's set on going to fashion school. In the movie, her passion is photography and she rocks at it. The whole deal with her wanting to go to an expensive art school is still the same, though Vee's family life is changed a bit with her living with only her mom, no dad, and having a deceased older brother.

Some of the changes didn't really seem all that necessary but then again, it added some emotion, drama, and made Vee's character more willing to play NERVE since there was only one source of income and her mother was scared to let Vee go off to an expensive school for fear of not being able to pay the bills as well as still dealing with a death in the family. The dares were different than in the book but I didn't mind it that much since they were more realistic than in the book. The game is played in New York instead than in the original story, Ian's background is a little bit different and his reason for playing NERVE is also a little bit darker but the changes worked with the adaptation from page to screen.

I really liked the casting for all the characters. The pace, romance, excitement, and the overall story was well translated without getting boring or cheesy and the dares were exciting, even having me cringe just watching the characters do some of the dares and almost dying a few times in the process of playing the game. I would honestly go see this movie again since I really loved it despite the ending being totally different than the book and the way NERVE is operated being tweaked a little bit. I loved the book as well and I would say that the movie is good just as it's own thing, maybe not the best adaptation, but well worth watching for sure. I would give the movie about four stars based on just how much I personally enjoyed it. Even my brother, who's very picky just like me about book-to-movie adaptations, really liked it and enjoyed a lot of the changes.

So, do you think you would play NERVE if it was real? Let me if you're a player or a watcher in the comments. Read on, bookworms! See you in the next chapter!