95% on Rotten Tomatoes. Highly recommended.
Hollywood has a problem with teenagers. Granted, we’re not certain that every single studio executive actually dislike anyone that’s aged 13-19, but when it comes to representation on screen, something has usually been a little bit off.
Granted, we’re all used to seeing some of the cliches in films. You know what we’re talking about.
25-year-olds that are trying to pass themselves off as 17. Every single group of guys that has a pact to lose their virginity on prom night. Catty girls in cliques that make secondary school the epitome of hell on earth.
Of course, we’ll see the usual array of jocks, goths, freaks, geeks, losers, weirdos, bitches and brutes, but how many teen comedies actually define what it’s like to be a teenager?
On that note, The Edge of Seventeen is rightfully being regarded as “more than just another coming-of-age dramedy” because it’s so incredibly perceptive and relatable with regards to those formative teenage years in everyone’s life.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EB6Gecy6IP8
While the plot might sound somewhat straightforward, the script and performances are exceptional.
As a teenager, did you ever have that sense of being angry at the world and not knowing why? The yearning to go out and ‘do something’ but not knowing what that ‘something’ is? The narcissistic belief that somehow, you’re issues are greater than someone else’s?
On that note, The Edge of Seventeen really excels because just like the beloved films of John Hughes (The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off) it understands the restlessness, frustrations and complexity that are present during anyone’s teenage years.
It’s also darkly funny, wickedly smart and wonderfully acted.
Ok, what’s it about?
Everyone knows that growing up is hard, and life is no easier for high school junior Nadine (Hailee Steinfeld), who is already at peak awkwardness when her all-star older brother Darian (Blake Jenner) starts dating her best friend Krista (Haley Lu Richardson).
All at once, Nadine feels more alone than ever, until the she discovers the unexpected friendship of another boy (Hayden Szeto) and her history teacher (Woody Harrelson) that gives her a glimmer of hope that things just might not be so terrible after all.
The film really shines though in the scenes between Steinfeld (she was nominated for a Golden Globe) and Woody Harrelson because he plays a pissed off, cynical and hard-edged teacher that arrives into Nadine’s life at the perfect moment.
With a 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and 77% on the more reliable Metacritic, it’s clear that The Edge of Seventeen has charmed anyone that has seen it.
These critics agree:
Rolling Stone – “You realise that the movie is not just a superior model of teen comedy; it may, in fact, be the equal of those beloved Eighties touchstones.”
Variety – “Steinfeld makes Nadine a hellion you can’t tear yourself away from. She isn’t just the star of The Edge of Seventeen – she’s its center of gravity.”
LA Times – “The Edge of Seventeen is the rare coming-of-age picture that feels less like a retread than a renewal. It’s a disarmingly smart, funny and thoughtful piece of work, from end to beginning to end.”
Salon – “The wisest and smartest teen comedy in years.”
Empire – “Deals with all the usual teenage concerns – dating, family, school – in a way that tries to go beyond genre cliché, with a heroine who is often unlikeable but always believable.”
US Weekly- “Thanks to its edgy sense of humor and achingly accurate poignancy, the flick will touch a nerve with anyone who has ever had to ride that tidal wave of teenage angst. By the way, that’s everybody.”
You can now watch iton Netflix.
Clip via – Film Trailer Zone
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