The 15 Best Movies of 2016

Image courtesy of STX Entertainment

4. The Edge of Seventeen

You have no idea how excited I am to say the phrase “Golden Globe nominee Hailee Steinfeld.” Sure, she got her fair share of attention after debuting in the Coens’ remake of True Grit a few years back, but her performance in this year’s The Edge of Seventeen shows her strengths more than anyone else’s. As drama queen Nadine, Steinfeld traverses the overwrought waters of growing up and realizing that, sometimes, you can have more than one best friend.

With comparisons popping up to Amy Heckerling’s Clueless and the work of John Hughes, The Edge of Seventeen is the year’s best comedy, and probably the strongest teen comedy in several years. Hearing how underseen it was by audiences upon release is upsetting in so many ways. The film is genuinely funny and relatable to those who are no longer in their teens. We all have trouble making friends, and it only gets worse the older we get. We’re a nation of Nadines just looking for a Krista (Haley Lu Richardson) of our own. By avoiding the typical “After-School Special” pratfalls of preachier adolescent tales, The Edge of Seventeen has a strong voice that’s loud and proud. There’s isn’t a movie that’s made me laugh more than this one, and Lord knows we needed some laughter this year.

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