The Edge Of Seventeen: The Main Characters, Ranked By Likability

Nadine’s coming of age story in The Edge Of Seventeen is easy to cheer on. While she can be harsh when dealing with her best friend and brother, she’s reeling from the loss of her father, who she loved and who rooted for her all the time, and she’s unsure how to cope now. Other people do their best to help Nadine, especially a kind teacher at her school, but they’re sometimes confused by her behavior.

When comparing the people in Nadine’s world, from her two love interests to her best friend, favorite teacher, and relatives, it seems like some are much easier to like than others.

9 Nick Mossman

Nick counts as a terrible movie boyfriend as he takes advantage of Nadine’s obvious innocence and crush. While Nadine thinks that they’re going on a date, he pressures Nadine to sleep with him.

Nick is bored and tired of being around Nadine as soon as it’s obvious that she isn’t going to have sex with him. He’s an incredibly unlikable character, but he’s important to the plot since Nadine stands up for herself and realizes that she can be strong.

8 Mona Franklin

Nadine and Darian’s mother Mona is a hard character to love. She’s processing the loss of her husband, which is understandably terrible and heartbreaking, but she’s really mean to Nadine and doesn’t treat her well.

Mona spends a lot of time complaining about Nadine’s behavior and saying that Tom would be upset with Nadine if he hadn’t passed away, which is a truly horrible thing to say. By the end of the movie, Mona realizes that she needs to let Nadine grow up and have more independence.

7 Krista

Krista is definitely a complicated character in The Edge Of Seventeen. On the one hand, she hurts Nadine’s feelings by not telling her that she likes Nadine’s brother. On the other hand, Krista feels that Nadine is being cruel and refusing to understand Krista’s own feelings about the situation.

Even though Krista deserves to find love and Darian makes her happy, it’s hard not to wonder why she ignores Nadine for most of the movie and why she wouldn’t just tell Nadine what was going on. Krista becomes more likable at the end when she and Nadine forgive each other.

6 Darian Franklin

While Darian and Nadine aren’t beloved movie siblings, their complicated relationship is meaningful and contributes to the film’s theme of never knowing what someone is going through.

For much of The Edge of Seventeen, Darian is a little tough to like as he seems to be prioritizing his relationship with Krista over making sure that Nadine is doing okay. But as the movie progresses, audiences learn the truth: Darian is actually incredibly caring and compassionate. Darian spills his emotions to Nadine and lets her know that he didn’t think that he could go to college or do much because he wants to stay home and help her and their mom.

5 Greer Bruner

Max’s wife Greer is incredibly likable, but since she’s only in the movie for a short time, it’s hard to consider her more lovable than some of the other major characters.

Greer seems like a lovely person and she’s a devoted partner and parent. Greer’s place in the movie is significant as she shows Nadine that Max has a happy family and that if she works through her emotions, she can get to a better place with her own mom, brother, and best friend, a lesson that she needs in order to move forward.

4 Tom Franklin

Although audiences don’t learn a lot about Tom, Nadine’s grief over this awful loss is what moves the story forward and makes it hard for her to forgive Krista, making Tom a significant character.

Tom always offered Nadine love and support, and since Nadine doesn’t feel that her mom pays enough attention to her or tries to understand how she’s feeling, it seems easier to like Tom than Mona.

3 Erwin Kim

Erwin is a likable character right away, and as Nadine learns more about his love of animation, it becomes clear that these two characters really understand each other.

By the time that Nadine goes to Erwin’s movie festival and they seem to be on track to start dating, audiences are rooting for them and hoping that they can make a relationship work. Erwin feels a bond with Nadine as neither one feels like they fit in, and he’s quiet, sweet, and compassionate.

2 Max Bruner

Hailee Steinfeld’s role in The Edge Of Seventeen is so beloved because she’s just trying to figure out how to survive each day of high school, and a big part of Nadine’s story is her close relationship with her teacher Max.

Max knows that it’s inappropriate to talk to Nadine about too many subjects, and he tries to be careful and professional while still helping her out. Max helps Nadine see that other people aren’t trying to hurt her and everyone is doing what they can. Max has a huge and important influence on Nadine and he’s got a charming sense of humor, making him one of the most likable people in the movie.

1 Nadine Franklin

Audiences cheer Nadine on from the start of the movie, even though she can be cold, harsh, and make rash and impulsive decisions.

While it isn’t nice of Nadine to make her best friend pick between Nadine and Darian, fans can understand Nadine’s perspective. As she grieves the loss of her father, she struggles to feel close to her mom and brother, and she puts all of her hopes into Krista. By the movie’s conclusion, Nadine becomes easier to love when she admits that she has been too mean and she vows to be a better person while exploring a romance with Erwin and spending time with Krista again.

About The Author

Aya Tsintziras
(1737 Articles Published)

Aya Tsintziras is a freelance writer who writes about pop culture and TV. She has a Political Science degree from the University of Toronto and a Masters of Journalism from Ryerson University. She loves coffee, reading, working out, and watching TV. She lives in Toronto with her husband.

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