There are a couple of moments in The Bling Ring, Sofia Coppola’s latest investigation into modern ennui, that are pure genius. The opening scene for instance, which begins as a quiet contemplation of an impending break-in which then explodes into a frenzied showcase of designer goods set to Sleigh Bells’ electro tune “Crown on the Ground” (perfect), is pure cinema. But the rest of the film, like 2010’s Somewhere, is dull and pretentious.

Probably one of the most boring and unoriginal thrillers we’ve seen in years, The Purge makes you want to do exactly just that. A supposed morality piece about the state of violence in America, everything about this thriller rings false. From Ethan Hawke’s semi-heroic turn as a steadfast family man who will do anything to protect his wife and kids to a truly ridiculous premise, the film is unredeemable.

Who would have thought that the director of torture porn gore fest Saw could come up with something so subdued and old-fashioned? (Scary we're not surprised by.) James Wan has immaculately drawn from classic scare flicks The Changeling, The Exorcist, Poltergeist, The Amityville Horror and The Birds for a potent tale of evil spirits and demonic possessions built on mood and dread for what is, arguably, the most terrifying horror film of the last decade (and perhaps one ups some of these originals). Even the title gives us the creeps.

The last part of a trilogy of political-themed films by emerging director Pablo Larrain, NO charts Chile’s unprecedented rise to democracy after it managed to overthrow the country’s military dictator Augusto Pinochet. It's based on the true story and unpublished play The Referendum by Antonio Skarmeta. Shot purely with analog video cameras from the ‘80s, the film seamlessly merges found footage with Lorrain’s effective documentary-style, which lends its mise en scenes a natural, gritty edge.

The latest Superman film is shockingly dated. Despite the many technological advances made in the FX department (surely, this is one of the best-looking and realistic in the series) and the shakiest camerawork we’ve seen in a superhero movie (The Blair Witch Project or Cloverfield, anyone?), there is not much new here. What made the older films so charming, especially the ‘70s and ‘80s originals, were their believable lo-fi aesthetics (groundbreaking then) and Christopher Reeves, who had the acting smarts to make his Clark Kent memorable.