Nerve

so there's a dude with serious anxiety problems. he keeps to himself at his job, in his personal life and even at home. Lucky for him, his female coworker wants to help him as long as he helps her as the subject of her psych paper. this is just the first 20 minutes. The rest of the film is about what happens after his mind unravels and the interesting predicaments he gets himself into. Hijinks ensue.

this film flies. it never gets too bogged down in any one area and it seems to explore a multitude of different aspects of his life, and in a entertaining way. so if you're looking for requiem for a dream. this isn't it. this is more like crazy stupid love, except imagine if Steve Carrel had social anxiety disorder.. not to mention the actor kinda looks like Steve Carrel

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-

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.

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.

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.