The Edge of Seventeen

My first review of 2017! I can’t believe that the first week of this year has already flown by. I’ll admit I was a bit hesitant to see this movie, only because I’m not always the biggest fan of coming of age or romance films. But as my close friend is really into films like this and I’ve made her sit through countless horror/thriller films I figured I owed her one. So here we go.

Set in American suburbia, The Edge of Seventeen revolves around the life of Nadine (Hailee Steinfeld), a high school student who has felt as though she was an outcast her entire life, owing to her unorthodox and sometimes brash personality. Dodging awkward advances from her classmate Erwin (Hayden Szeto) and secretly crushing on school bad boy Nick (Alexander Calvert), her only saving grace is her best and only friend Krista (Haley Lu Richardson), who she met in primary school. Things begin to get complicated when, after a party night at her house, Nadine awakes to find Krista in bed with her older brother Darien (Blake Jenner), whom she has always felt inferior to because of his popularity and charm. Feeling as though she is going to lose her best friend to her brother as well as the burden of her overprotective and misunderstanding mother, Nadine begins to confide in her high school teacher Mr. Bruner (Woody Harrelson). As her life slowly begins to unravel, Nadine begins to wonder: can anything in life really be perfect, or will high school never end?

The positives: Above all else, the acting in this movie is one of its biggest selling points. Standouts have definitely got to be Woody Harrelson as the sarcastic teacher who really gives zero shits (but c’mon, we all saw that coming from the trailer) and Hayden Szeto who brings the perfect amount of awkward and charming to the character of Erwin. Hailee Stienfelds’ Nadine was also a really refreshing twist on the coming of age protagonist, moving away from the usual passive and introverted main character to someone who is overdramatic, selfish and frankly, a loudmouth, having spent her life in her brother’s shadow. But in terms of the story, one of the best running themes in this film has to be the reminder that not everything is always what it seems, and that life can throw things at you without warning. The storyline was interesting and made me care about the characters and their relationships to one another, so I can definitely say the movie was genuinely entertaining.

The negatives: I wish I could say that this movie hit the nail on the head in its entirety, but once again pacing begins to have a really big impact on this film. The amount of different locations, different plot points and character development happening at the same time make it begin to feel a bit crowded after a while. As an audience member I felt at times that certain parts of the story deserved more attention. As well as this, a lot of people have been comparing this film to ones such as Clueless (1995) and Mean Girls (2004): this is nowhere near that territory in my opinion. If you were into films such as The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012), The Breakfast Club (1985) and Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (2005) (and I may have revealed just how old I am with that last one) this will be for you. But be warned, while this film has a feel good vibe at the end, it’s not always as chipper as the trailers might like you to think, so if you’re gonna take your 10 year old to see it, maybe think again?

In the end, this film is fun, relatable and will definitely become a classic. Its witty writing and entertaining plot will make it worth your money if you’re into these kind of films, and also remind you of the times when you were young and stupid and made mistakes that seemed as though they’d last a lifetime (if you’re old like me that is). Although its not perfect, its certainly worth a watch.