The dab. Low-waisted jeans. The ice bucket challenge. Pokémon Go. What do these seemingly unrelated things have in common? They are all examples of trends that have lived and died over the last 10 years (thank god). Nowadays, trends and cultural movements dominate our society and the media landscape, with the word 'trendy' now being seen as a compliment rather than a stamp of mediocrity. Much like the real world, the film industry is full of ever-changing trends in genre, specific actors and storylines that will inevitability become irrelevant just as quickly as they gained popularity. An example of the industries' latest trend is the newly coined term, "Mumblecore" which is a genre of film which can be best described as 'purposely dull' and 'intentionally lacking in drama and engaging dialogue'. Whilst this sounds like an odd concept, these films that often include a naturalistic acting style, frequent use of improvisation and an obviously miniscule budget are actually surprisingly compelling and comforting in nature- a breath of fresh air from the usual overacted, overrated and overproduced films Hollywood churns out annually.

Mumblecore settings are purposely bland to place more attention on characters emotions and conflicts. Think a dreary Texan trailer park or an unimportant motel which looks as if it smells like old people and stale coffee. When placed infront of these drab landscapes, even the most boring, tedious character suddenly appear to be the most interesting person on the planet to the watcher who now becomes invested in the captivatingly drab existence of our protagonist.

Speaking of our protagonist, with Mumblecore the protagonist at the beginning of the film can usually be described in three words: Single, White and Unhappy. However, after an hour and a half of character development and a half-hearted plot, they typically become a slightly better person and can now be described as: In a relationship, White and moderately contempt with life. Gotta love Hollywood diversity.

However, perhaps the most defining feature of a Mumblecore movie is it's use of purposely dull dialogue. Unlike other films, Mumblecore characters don't talk in dramatic monologues or expertly crafted speeches, they talk like real human beings often talking in simple, colloquial language and sometimes messing up their words. In a Mumblecore world, there is never any real sense of panic or pressing danger, so the characters always seem to embody this 'chillaxed' persona and therefore often address each other with a friendly "Hey dude" as opposed to your usual Hollywood spiel i.e., "Tony Stark, the world is ending as we know it, prepare the weapons!". In order to further illustrate Mumblecore's 'dull' writing, I decided to take perhaps the most recognisable chunk of dialogue from any film ever and turn it into what you might expect in a Mumblecore flick. I hope your expectations are low.

Normal scene:

LUKE: I'll never join you!

DARTH VADER: If you only knew the power of the Dark Side. Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father.

LUKE: He told me enough! It was you who killed him!

DARTH VADER: No. I am your father.

"Mumblecore" scene:

Darth Vader has been renamed to Scary Pete as there is no way anyone from a small Texan town would be able to pronounce Darth Vader correctly.

LUKE: Dude...I just can't join you. There's a lot on my plate right now...sorry bro.

SCARY PETE: Man, I've heard this Dark Side stuffs pretty hardcore. Bruh. *sips lukewarm coffee* Yanno, my college buddy Obi-Wan never told you about your dad. *Reminiscing* Cool dude Obi, I wonder what he's doing now......

LUKE: Man, Obi told me all I need to know. You know, not trying to kill your vibe or whatever, but dude I wouldn't be surprised if it was you that killed him. *Passive aggressive drink sip*

SCARY PETE: Nah dude you've got it all wrong. I guess, I'm your dad.... or whatever. *Picking at stain on shirt*

LUKE: So, you and my mum....no...ah actually no worries dude just buy the next round.

They end with a manly fist bump and walk out the small-town coffee shop.

Most mumblecore is genuinely 90 minutes of conversations like this- no substance, just white people complaining about their unrewarding lives.

Ultimately, while I understand Mumblecore films may be boring and tedious to some, I am a fan of the movement as it feels like a breath of fresh air for the film industry. Through the bland dialogue and uninspired sets, there comes a sense of comfort and ease which makes the films easy to watch and feel human. Looking into someone's banal existence, makes you feel slighty better about your own mediocre lives.

If you're looking to watch some Mumblecore classics, I would recommend "Safety not guaranteed", "Tiny Furniture", "Happy Christmas". Try not to get too bored :)