Meaning & use
mumblecore
Last updated
Meaning
noununcountable
A style of low-budget independent film characterized by naturalistic dialogue, often about the romantic and personal lives of young adults.
Grammar: Used as a mass noun: talk about mumblecore in general, not 'a mumblecore'.
Patterns
- a mumblecore film
- the mumblecore movement
The festival showcased several mumblecore films from new directors.
Her latest movie is a mumblecore drama about friends drifting apart after college.
Critics praised the mumblecore style for its raw, improvised feel.
Common combinations
- mumblecore film
- The mumblecore film was shot on a tiny budget with non-professional actors.
- mumblecore movement
- The mumblecore movement began in the early 2000s with a group of American filmmakers.
- mumblecore aesthetic
- The director is known for her mumblecore aesthetic, using handheld cameras and natural light.
- mumblecore director
- He started as a mumblecore director before moving to bigger studio projects.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'mumblecore' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Mumblecore is an uncountable noun for a style of film, so it is used like an adjective before 'film' or as a mass noun. Option 2 is correct. Option 1 confuses it with a music genre. Option 3 is wrong because 'mumblecore' is not countable ('a mumblecore'). Option 4 also treats it as countable and misuses it for a written work.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “mumblecore”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.