The edge of seventeen is a gem among the romcom flops that have been flooding Netflix lately. I was therefore disappointed to hear that the film is on the list of films that will have to leave Netflix in August 2024.
The top streaming service is flooded with lame relationship comedies like A family affair And Find me falling. However, The edge of seventeen is one of the few comedies that not only has a 94% score on Rotten Tomatoes, but has also managed to breathe new life into the endangered genre, which is no longer as successful as it was in the good old days.
The edge of seventeen is not your typical romcom, it is a striking coming-of-age dramedy that appeals to both young and old audiences, even though there is some romance in it. But despite the high ratings, The edge of seventeen went largely unnoticed and did not receive the recognition it deserved, such as Greta Gerwig’s coming-of-age film Ladybird did when it was released the following year.
With the film dropping on August 31, there’s no better time to watch one of Netflix’s best movies (which is only a short distance away) before it sells out.
Directed by Kelly Fremon Craig, The edge of seventeen follows seventeen-year-old Nadine (Hailee Steinfeld) as she and her best friend Krista (Hayley Lu Richardson) try to survive high school and the pitfalls of adolescence.
Nadine finds herself in a turbulent relationship with her popular older brother Darian (Blake Jenner) and her emotionally distant mother Mona (Kyra Sedgwick) after the loss of her beloved father Tom. But soon, the only stable relationship in Nadine’s life is thrown into chaos when Krista starts dating Darian and she finds herself incredibly lonely.
What makes The edge of seventeen one of the most realistic coming of age films is the resentment, rebellion, isolation and dark humor that seeps through the entire story as Nadine struggles with her own insecurities. While it is clear that Nadine is depressed and full of self-loathing, the film does not show her as someone who is simply sad, but instead she expresses her inner turmoil through a wide range of emotions, often making for some rather funny missteps.
It’s not all doom and gloom though – there’s also romance alongside the comedy as Nadine befriends classmate Erwin (Hayden Szeto) who has a crush on her and she realises that maybe it’s not the end of the world after all. I suppose it’s also a love story about friendship of sorts, as Nadine is devastated that she’s lost the one person in her life who keeps her grounded.
With family heartbreak, friendship strife and complicated romance, it is an accurate portrayal of childhood that will have teens and adults alike laughing and crying throughout its 104-minute runtime. All in all, The edge of seventeen is definitely an underrated film that should be seen by many more people – so watch it while you can on Netflix!