Girls, are you in need the need of a good R-rated movie to sneak into with your friends? Not just any girly, love sappy movie with scenes way beyond our years, or a movie where a stereotypical girl eats ice cream while crying, but a movie where in the end makes you think, “Why am I the way that I am? Do I like the way that I am? Have I ever changed myself to fit in with society?”

The Edge of 17 is a perfect pick for someone who is looking for a realistic teen drama. It may be a little exaggerated, but the movie could bring you to tears. It was released into theaters on Friday, Nov. 18. Written and directed by Kelly Fremon Craig and produced by STX Entertainment, this 1 hour and 44 minute film follows a young girl through her trek of finding her place while accepting who she is and embracing her original personality.

Nadine, played by Hailee Steinfeld, is a teenage girl whose life seems to be plummeting. Nadine is a 17-year-old girl, and in those years, she has lost her father, is compared to her “perfect” older brother Darian, played by Blake Jenner, and her mother seems to hate her. On top of all that, Nadine’s best friend Krista, played by Haley Lu Richardson, starts dating Darian. Overall, Nadine seems to have a difficult life. Perhaps a little melodramatic, but in the end, it plays out for an alluring drama.

She is at the age where she feels she as though she has no place in society and refers herself as an “old soul.” After losing her best friend to dating Darian, Nadine is extremely relieved to soon find a friend in Erwin Kim, the geeky boy from her history class, played by Hayden Szeto. This unexpected friendship helps bring Nadine to the realization that life is what you make it. Erwin helps bring her out of her funk and see how she can be happy and have a more positive outlook on life. Even with her new friendship, Nadine continues to try and push people away, claiming her brother doesn’t care about her, and wants nothing to do with Krista. On top of that, Nadine thinks she’s in love with Nick Mossman, played by Alexander Calvert. He is the stereotypical “bad boy” with the rough background and undeniably charming looks. Even though Nadine thinks she knows everything, she is soon going to be hit by the hard truth and find out that she has a lot to learn.

The trailer of this movie shows a girl with the wittiness of a comedian and the spunk of a teenager who just seems a little lost. The movie itself, on the other hand, has a girl who is not only lost, but is gifted with the sass and spunk of a normal teenage girl.

In my honest opinion, I am very indecisive on this movie. While it was really well written and somewhat relatable, it was also very depressing. It was realistic enough to the point where I thought someone I know could be going through the same thing. However, the plot is very dramatic, and everything seemed to be falling apart to the furthest extent.

Without too many spoilers, Nadine does find her place. She may not be in the same place where she started, and she may not be with Krista every waking second of the day, but she has love, friends, and happiness.

This movie is extremely well written. It wasn’t what I was expecting, like a funny teen or romantic comedy that would leave me hysterically laughing when I left the theater. Even with the little comedic clips here and there, it is still a very depressing film, and while depressing, it is very enlightening.

I may not have left the theater laughing, however, I did leave the theater with a single question stuck in my head: “How do I want to live my life?”