There was a time when I’d watch any movie that I came across. I mean, have you seen all those posts I made about movies?

The problem with watching so many movies is that they all tend to blur together into one giant cinematic casserole. I’ve tried to pare back the number of movies I watch so the good ones really stick out.  Which leads me to 2016’s Nerve.

A crowd-sourced truth or dare mobile game sounds amazing, but the 96-minute runtime barely does the concept justice. The movie spends just a bit too much time making sure we understand the rules of the game. That’s fine, though, because the movie also uses that time to build up the dynamic between young stars Emma Roberts and James Franco (which it excels at). The ending did feel a bit rushed, but it’s nothing a longer runtime couldn’t have fixed. I’m normally weary of sequels or universe building (thanks, Marvel), but this is one concept that I think could easily fill out a few more movies (or at the very least a Netflix series).

I should point out that another great thing about this film (besides Dave Franco’s abs) is the soundtrack. Featuring a smattering of songsters—from Roy Orbison to Wu Tang Clan to Lowell to Hasley to BØRNS and back to The Skyliners—you’re sure to find at least one toe-tapper in this actioner!

Currently available on our best seller DVD shelf.