Netflix has plenty of teen coming-of-age comedies and dramas, including many of the streaming service's most popular original movies But there's only a little time left to see my favorite teen comedy of the past decade, an underrated film that gets funnier with each viewing

The Edge of Seventeen, screenwriter Kelly Fremon Craig's debut feature, was only a modest success at the box office, but it is a great film, along with one of Hailee Steinfeld's best performances Anyone who enjoys teen movies, regardless of age, should check it out before it is no longer available from Netflix at the end of the month

Teenagers are often whiny and self-centered, but mainstream teen movies tend to smooth over their flaws and make them more mature and likable High school senior Nadine Franklin (Steinfeld) opens the film by grandly (and petulantly) declaring her impending suicide to her jaded, skeptical teacher Mr Bruner (Woody Harrelson) Mr Bruner also declares that he, too, will kill himself to avoid Nadine's continued haunting

This hilarious and morbid sense of humor defines Nadine and the film itself, which is ultimately a sensitive and wholesome film despite the heroine's penchant for melodrama Nadine's problems are not particularly unique, but like a typical teenager, she sees every setback as proof that the world is out to get her

After the opening scene, The Edge of Seventeen flashes back to Nadine's own childhood, when she was ostracized by her peers in contrast to her seemingly perfect older brother Darian (Blake Jenner)

The catalyst for this particular life crisis for Nadine was the discovery that her best friend Krista (Haley Lou Richardson) had slept with Darian, a betrayal that was inexcusable to Nadine She is completely unable to accept the feeling that Krista may genuinely like Darian, or that Darian may have serious feelings for Krista

The root of Nadine's trauma is the sudden death of her father four years ago, which Nadine witnessed when he had a heart attack while in the car with her Craig treats that trauma with humor as well, and Nadine sarcastically uses it to escape homework, and Bruner matches her sarcasm, pointing out that she has a one-year limit on grief as a legitimate excuse for missing schoolwork Nevertheless, behind these jokes lie real emotions, including Nadine's inability to face her loss head-on and Mr Bruner's efforts to reach her through the only means of communication she can understand

In addition to her unkind and unsympathetic treatment of Darian and Krista, Nadine is equally rude to her awkward and artistic classmate, Irwin Kim (Hayden Seto), who clearly has a crush on her Nadine turns to Erwin for help when she fails, but she puts her romantic energy into an obviously dirty man who has recently been in juvenile detention and can barely put a sentence together [But Craig and Steinfeld handle it with brutal honesty and sarcastic humor, making Nadine's terrible choices authentic and heartbreaking

It is painful - and painfully funny - to watch Nadine ruin her life, but what makes “The Edge of Seventeen” so moving is how relatable she is, and her moments of self-awareness are savage and cutting She says drunkenly, “I'm going to spend the rest of my life being myself I have to spend the rest of my life with myself Anyone who suffers from depression or anxiety, or remembers being a teenager, can relate to that dark impulse and root for Nadine to find a way out of it

Nadine's journey to be a little better person is hilarious and heartbreaking One of the best things about The Edge of Seventeen is that it acknowledges the valid perspectives of everyone involved in Nadine's life, including Darian, Krista, Dr Bruner, and Nadine's frustrated mother (Kyra Sedgwick) They are all dealing with their own issues, and part of maturing is learning to acknowledge that others have problems, too

The Edge of Seventeen may seem nihilistic at times, but Craig's equally brilliant second film, Judy Blume's adaptation of “God, Will You Be There? It's me, Margaret ' Hiding in the bathroom during a party, Nadine warns herself in the mirror, “I'm not going to be there Yet Nadine is really only as strange as other teenagers imagine themselves to be, which is why she's perfect for leading a unique but timeless teen movie