High school sucks. But that’s not the point of “The Edge of Seventeen,” a dramedy that doesn’t present audiences with an easy viewing experience or likable younglings wise beyond their years.

Hailee Steinfeld portrays Nadine, a teen with an awkward high school experience, in “The Edge of Seventeen.” (photo courtesy of STX Entertainment)

High school is awkward. The cafeteria is a nightmare for the friendless. Parties are only enjoyable if you know people. And Facebook is valuable currency when establishing one’s social status. At the center of all these teenage politics is Nadine (Hailee Steinfeld), who is her own worst enemy.

Don’t get me wrong, she had a tough start. She never got along with mom (Kyra Sedgwick), who always favored dreamy big bro Darian (Blake Jenner). Tragically, Nadine also witnessed her dad (Eric Keenleyside) dying from a heart attack. Several years later, her jaded approach to everything and everyone has only worsened.

Then the tipping point: her bestie Krista (Haley Lu Richardson) starts dating Darian. Rather than accept the discomfort of such a situation for the sake of her only friendship, Nadine opts out entirely, isolating herself from everyone. Her one friend is gone and a struggling family dynamic begins to sink even lower.

Can she find any solace at school? History teacher Mr. Bruner (Woody Harrelson) turns out to be the most stable person in her life, but he doesn’t make it easy for her, often favoring sarcasm and a veneer of indifference both comparable to her preference for narcissism and hyperbole, often in the same sentence.

Nadine (Hailee Steinfeld) must deal with Krista (Haley Lu Richardson) dating her brother in “The Edge of Seventeen.” (photo courtesy of STX Entertainment)

And then there’s Nadine’s “love life,” which belongs in quotes since it’s more theoretical than real. On one side, we’ve got the dashingness of high school bad boy Nick (Alexander Calvert). He barely cares she exists, and that’s the allure. On the other side: classmate Erwin (Hayden Szeto), the boy next door who’s actually attracted to her. I wonder how this will all pan out.

Writer and director Kelly Fremon Craig provides the latest in a long line of teen angst films popularized by “The Breakfast Club” and peaking with films like “The Perks of Being a Wallflower.” While “Edge” might not be a smooth ride rich with satisfying banter, it’s a raw depiction of what anxiety really looks like.

Young Nadine isn’t a Juno, nor is she representative of a typical high school student. This is a compelling character study that exposes the other side. You know that person in high school everyone called drama or damaged, someone who sends mixed signals. Meet Nadine. That said, good writing never bothers reinforcing our understanding of things. Instead, it challenges us to humanize and look past knee-jerk reactions to people we briefly meet or hear about in passing.

Steinfeld turned heads with her breakout performance in “True Grit,” but since then, her roles have been more commercial and edgeless in forgettable films. This is the film she needed, the kind of adult-oriented, awards-season fodder that will hopefully lead to something equally compelling and original.

And Harrelson, no stranger to the mentor who’s rough around the edges, provides his annual reminder that he should be in as many films as possible. One of the real surprises here is Szeto, a virtual unknown. He’s charming and stutters with the best of them.

This film is difficult to watch at points, the kind of sinking ship you need to observe just to know where it finally settles. It’s far from flawless, favoring a melodramatic conclusion that wraps things up a bit too simply. It’s perhaps the only satisfying bit available, but it’s still a cheat.

Other than that, this is an engaging film worth the journey for anyone who knows high schoolers or wishes to empathize with those going through any number of hormonal changes. “The Edge of Seventeen” is full of drama and bad decisions, everything you need to wince and laugh at the movies.