Culture Fix’s Ten Worst Films of 2013

This smug, over-complicated look at the world of magic, ultimately feels like it is cheating viewers out of something more substantial. Considering its subject matter, Now You See Me, relies on slick CGI effects and fails to actually convince with genuine tricks – e.g. moments like Isla Fisher floating around in a computer-generated bubble may look ‘slick,’ but ultimately lack the authenticity to genuinely engage.

9 Parkland

Despite an excellent cast at its disposal, Parkland’s recreation of JFK’s assassination was ultimately dull and tasteless. This misguided effort included a comic-relief version of Lee Harvey Oswald’s mother and Jackie Kennedy clutching a clump of JFK’s brain-matter (which although true, was it necessary?).

8 Jack the Giant Slayer

It’s pretty clear than Bryan Singer’s heart lies with The X-Men series, crafting its two strongest efforts and shortly returning for his third, X-Men: Days of Future Past, and then ultimately his fourth, X-Men: Apocalypse. Stepping away from his much-loved mutant cronies, Singer directed Jack the Giant Slayer – a truly disappointing fairy-tale feature that relied on dodgy CGI, an impersonal story, and a general lack of fun and pizzazz.

7 The Hangover III

Warner Brother’s cash-cow faded to a forgettable end, void of all the laughs that made the first such a hit. The only highlight was an over-played cameo from Melissa McCarthy.

6 The Last Exorcism II

Horror fans and most others will simply feel unmoved and bored by this cheap, cliched cash-in that loses all the originality and shocks of its predecessor. The ending, in particular, is toe-curlingly awful – complete with generic rock music and CGI fire.

5 The Complex

This embarrassing entry into Hideo Nakata’s back-catalogue lacks any scares and relies on outdated J-Horror cliches that can be seen coming from its opening scenes. It’s hard to believe this is the man who made Ring, it’s less hard to believe that he made Chatroom.