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Here's a look at the new movies I saw this week.

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
Starring: Thomas Mann, Olivia Cooke, RJ Cyler, Connie Britton, Nick Offerman, Molly Shannon, and Jon Bernthal
Synopsis: Summer is emblematic of what’s happened to the film industry. There are a lot of big, loud, noisy films. There are a lot of big-budget, high expectation film franchises. There are a lot of continuations of ongoing stories that require years of investment at the cinema. But if you look hard enough, there’s something different. The smaller, quiet stories that present beautiful slices of life. One such offering is “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl,” a new film based on the novel from Jesse Andrews. It doesn’t have any huge stars. There aren’t any explosions. And it didn’t have a nine-figure budget. But it has a lot of heart and paints a beautiful picture of love. Last summer “The Fault in Our Stars” showed there is a market for teen romances — even ones we know are doomed. But whereas that film had a lot of hype, a bigger profile and some bankable stars, “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl” slides in under the radar. It’s also a different kind of film. The hallmarks of young adult fiction adaptations are there, and I would argue “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl” is a beautiful love story, but it’s not a romance. It’s a movie about a boy and a girl who connect deeply and beautifully as friends. It’s something they both need, something that enriches both their lives and something that feels pure and rare in cinema. It helps that Cooke and Mann deliver beautifully nuanced performances. Both are great in lead roles, and their chemistry on screen helps drive the story. Also great is Cyler, who has most of the funniest lines and adds a lot to the dynamic of the film. The story is also blessed with some good supporting performances from adults, including Britton, Offerman, Molly Shannon and Jon Bernthal. The script from Andrews, based on his novel, moves along at a good pace and really explores these characters and this story beautifully. There are a number of funny moments, some wonderfully touching moments and enough odd moments to give this story the right amount of quirk. Director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon — who’s worked mostly on TV shows like “American Horror Story” and “Glee” — does a beautiful job bringing this story to life. There are some interesting shots, and the film is paced beautifully to tell the story.  I love blockbusters like “Jurassic World” when they’re done well, but nothing is as delightful as finding a beautifully told smaller film. “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl” is that kind of film, and it’s one of the best films I’ve seen this year. From beginning to end it’s a delight.
Rating: PG-13 for sexual content, drug material, language and some thematic elements.
Verdict: Four stars out of four.

Magic Mike XXL

Starring: Channing Tatum, Joe Manganiello, Matt Bomer, Adam Rodriguez, Michael Strahan, Kevin Nash, Amber Heard, and Jada Pinkett Smith

Synopsis: A couple summers ago, "Magic Mike" debuted in theaters with the promise of creating wild fun for women at the cinemas. But the film was less a stripper party and more a dower look as some characters making terrible life choices. For this second go-around, the promise was less plot and more male dancing. I guess that's kind of somewhat true, but this is still a dower, overly long feeling movie. There are dance sequences, and it ends on a somewhat happy note, but it's not exactly a feel good story. That's why it only made $12 last weekend. This movie wants to be a bachelorette party and feels more like Friday night on IFC.

Rating: R for strong sexual content, pervasive language, some nudity and drug use. Enter with caution.

Verdict: One star out of four

Terminator Genisys

Starring: Emilia Clarke, Jason Clarke, Jai Courtney, and Arnold Schwarzenegger

Synopsis: This is the fifth film in the "Terminator" franchise, but it's not so much a sequel as a re-imagining. This film takes things back to the beginning with Kyle Reese (Courtney) heading back to 1984 to save Sarah Connor (Clarke), only to discover the timeline has changed. If you think about the plot of this film too hard, your head will start to hurt. "Terminator" has never been my favorite franchise, and judging by the public response there isn't a lot of interest in it any more. I thought some of the action sequences worked well, and the performances were OK. I love Emila Clarke based on her work on "Game of Thrones," but she didn't have a lot to do here. Schwarzenegger is what he is, but that works for this particular role. This was clearly meant to re-boot the franchise, but I don't think it's gonna happen. This feels like a fine, but totally unnecessary sequel.

Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and gunplay throughout, partial nudity and brief strong language

Verdict: Two stars out of four

Upcoming Releases:

Friday, July 10 - "Minions," "Gallows," "Self/Less"

Friday, July 17 - "Train Wreck," "Ant Man," "Mr. Holmes"

Friday, July 24 - "Pixels," "Paper Towns," "Vatican Tapes"

Wednesday, July 29 - "Vacation"

Friday, July 31 - "Southpaw," "Mission Impossible: Rouge Nation"