As a film fan, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl‘s quirky movie references got real old, real quick (except for that Dawn of the Dead patch on Thomas Mann’s jacket…respect). The world the characters live in is too calculated to exist, a common problem in many of these hipster love stories as of late. But despite my eyes rolling into the back of my head upon the second or third Aguirre, the Wrath of God reference, I was strangely affected by a tight, cleverly-devised story found buried underneath all the cuteness. The one thing Me and Earl and the Dying Girl gets completely right is its avoidance of melodrama, which has plague like-minded films like The Fault in Our Stars and The Spectacular Now. The relationships and their ups-and-downs seem genuine, so the sadder moments of the film are in harmony with the comedic parts (which were shockingly fruitful), and that’s thanks to wonderful storytelling and a competent cast.