At the intersection of technology andDIY indie spiritlies mumblecore,a brand of minimalist cinema that defined the early 2000s.Though many categorize it as a subgenre of independent cinema, mumblecore would be more accurately defined as a filmmaking mode. Its simplistic and naturalistic style allows young filmmakers to showcase their talent on a shoestring budget. Although the term is dismissed by its originators, the movement they created had an undeniable influence on the independent film landscape, launching Hollywood careers and introducing audiences to some of their favorite directors and actors.
The origins of mumblecore can be traced back to 2005 when Andrew Bujalski, Joe Swanberg, and Jay andMark Duplass had filmsscreened at the SXSW Film Festival. The term was coined in passing, but eventually spawned award-winning filmmakers, hit TV shows, anda horror subgenre called mumblegore.In the context of film history, mumblecore represents the effects of new digital camera technology readily available to consumers.As independent studios struggled to keep doors open, these young filmmakers crafted a filmmaking style based on naturalistic performances, embarrassing characters, and handheld camerawork.
2008
Josh and Benny Safdie
2009
2010
2013
2012
Nights and Weekends
Joe Swanberg and Greta Gerwig
2005
Jay and Mark Duplass
2002
Medicine for Melancholy
Cast
Alcohol and fate make Joanne and Micah wake up together after a night of partying. Although they think they have nothing in common, they gradually get to know each other and feel attracted to each other.
Eight years before directingMoonlight, Barry Jenkins offered his interpretation of the mumblecore film with 2008’sMedicine for Melancholy.Jenkins utilizes conversational acting as a dialectic platform to discuss black issuesthat apply to the film’s setting of San Francisco.
Centered around a couple after a one-night stand,Medicine for Melancholyaligns with mumblecore’s awkward characters and documentary-style camera, using the voices of Micah and Jo to ruminate on gentrification, assimilation, and acknowledging one’s blackness. In classic mumblecore fashion,Medicine for Melancholyhad its premiere at SXSW and earneda relatively successful box office return against its $15,000 budget.
Although it took some time for Jenkins to settle into the filmmaker he is today, his 2008 debut demonstrated his unique ability to experiment with color. The film’s desaturated color grade almost represents the characters’ lackluster attempts to connect. As the only Black filmmaker on this list, Barry Jenkins’Medicine for Melancholyalso highlights the disparity of Black representation in the mumblecore space.
Daddy Longlegs
Daddy Longlegs is a drama directed by Josh and Benny Safdie, focusing on the chaotic life of Lenny, a divorced father, who struggles to care for his two young sons during his limited custody period. The film portrays Lenny’s unconventional parenting methods and the challenges he faces in balancing responsibility and personal freedom.
Coming up alongside Greta Gerwig inthe Diane Fink School of Filmmaking, Josh and Benny Safdie are spiritual off-shoots of the original mumblecore squad.With their vérité-style camerawork and penchant for naturalistic acting, the Safdie Brothers fit perfectly within the modern indie filmmaking mode and their 2009 featureDaddy Longlegsshows an early interest in this world.
Daddy Longlegsremains a definitive precursor to the Safdies’ later hits
Though they debuted a year earlier withThe Pleasure of Being Robbed, their sophomore effort was the first and only time the brothers are credited as co-writers, directors, and editors together.Daddy Longlegs, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and screened at Sundance, honed the Safdie Brothers’ unique independent production style to fruitful results.
They would eventually perfect this style with 2017’sGood Timeand 2019’sUncut Gems, elevating their films with bigger stars and bigger budgets.Daddy Longlegsremains a definitive precursor to the Safdies’ later hits, focusing on an immature divorced father similarly to their portrayal of Connie or Howard. As filmmakers who stayed loyal to the mumblecore style, Josh and Benny Safdie’s place on this list is as deserved as Bujalski or Swanberg.
Tiny Furniture
Tiny Furniture, directed by and starring Lena Dunham, follows Aura, a recent college graduate who returns to her family home in New York City. Struggling with post-college life and uncertain future prospects, she navigates relationships and personal identity. The film also features Dunham’s real-life mother and sister, Laurie Simmons and Grace Dunham, adding an authentic dynamic to the story.
Out of the films listed so far, 2010’sTiny Furnitureadheres the most to the definition of mumblecore.The film casts director Lena Dunham as an autobiographical version of herself alongside her real-life mother and sister, it features awkward characters in a coming-of-age setting, it premiered at the SXSW Film Festival, and it stays true to the DIY quality of Dunham’s early YouTube projects.
The 60 Best Movies Of All Time
Screen Rant breaks down the best movies of all time, from old classics to modern masterpieces across multiple genres of cinema.
Like the Safdie Brothers, the multi-talented star ofTiny Furniturealso came up through the Diane Fink School of Filmmaking, denoting a cross-pollination of mumblecore among the New York creative associates.Tiny Furniturehelped launch Dunham’s career into mainstream success with Golden Globe-winning performances in her hit HBO showGirlsand multiple published books.
Like the filmmakers listed so far, Dunham leveraged her mumblecore projects to land bigger projects down the road. Her rise to fame, however, has come with its pitfalls, as the multifaceted creator frequently runs into PR mix-ups regarding her insensitive public remarks.Mumblecore certainly wouldn’t be what it was without the late entry ofTiny Furnitureat the start of the new decade.
Drinking Buddies
Kate and Luke are employees at a brewery. With similar tastes, the two have always flirted with each other, but have never entered into a relationship, as Luke is thinking of marrying his girlfriend, while Kate is in a relationship with a music producer. However, the more they drink, the more open they become to the possibility of going out together.
As the most recent film on the list, 2013’sDrinking Buddiesrepresents a milestone for the original mumblecore group. Core member Joe Swanberg takes his improvisational directing style to new heights by employing a tandem of formidable actors to his mumblecore machine.Olivia Wilde, Jake Johnson, and Anna Kendrick star as a pair of co-workers at a breweryand their respective partners.
In classic Swanberg fashion, their messy relationships tangle and intertwine into a painfully cringey dramedy. With Hollywood stars at the helm, the prolific film director takes mumblecore to heightened mainstream potential. Arguably Swanberg’s most well-known piece of work,Drinking Buddiesepitomizes the director’s dedication to mumblecore and the progression of the movement.
Starting with his 2005 debutKissing on the Mouth, which screened at the SXSW Film Festival, the self-involved director has pushed the limits of this filmmaking mode. This is felt most particularly in 2007’sHannah Takes the Stairs, where the filmmaker tasks the crew and cast to stay in a house together while producing their film summer camp-style. With all of his ambitious creative endeavors,Drinking Buddiesstands as the peak of Swanberg’s mumblecore contributions.
Frances Ha
Frances Ha is a comedy-drama directed by Noah Baumbach, starring Greta Gerwig as Frances, an aspiring dancer navigating life and friendships in New York City. The film follows her journey of self-discovery and the challenges she faces while pursuing her dreams, exploring themes of ambition, relationships, and independence. Gerwig’s performance and Baumbach’s direction encapsulate the struggles and aspirations of a young artist in the modern world.
Starring and co-written by mumblecore member Greta Gerwig, 2012’sFrances Hastands as the most arthouse rendition from the original core group. Deliberately inspired by the French New Wave and screwball comedy,the black-and-white film is artfully elevated compared to the original entries, yet remains discernably mumblecore. Gerwig’s portrayal of the titular character is both joyful and depressing, emphasizing the growing pains of late-20s adulthood.
Gerwig’s portrayal of the titular character is both joyful and depressing, emphasizing the growing pains of late-20s adulthood.
In collaboration with now-partner Noah Baumbach,Frances Hastands as Gerwig’s strong influence on the writing process. In contrast to the more rigid and drab characterizations of his earlier films,Frances Hatreads a new path for Baumbach.Equipped with Gerwig’s experience in the world of mumblecore, the filmmakers shot on a smaller budget, which allowed them to be more flexible with the production.
10 Best Quotes From Frances Ha
Frances Ha is the quintessential portrait of an aimless twentysomething, with countless quotable lines about Puss in Boots and dateability.
Frances Haexemplifies howthe production style of mumblecore can expand a director’s creative toolbox beyond financial limitations.Frances Hamarks a sharp turn for Baumbach as he would go on to write and direct similarly toned films inThe Meyerowitz Stories: New and SelectedandMarriage Story.
Mattie and James are a couple, but they have to face the difficulties of a long-distance relationship. One lives in Chicago and the other in New York and this dynamic will create tensions that could shake their relationship forever.
Similar toFrances Ha, 2008’sNights and Weekendssaw Greta Gerwig collaborating with another filmmaker.With Joe Swanberg as co-director, the two co-star as a couple going through a breakup, and Swanberg’s improvisational style heavily influences the film’s form and narrative structure.
The characters’ awkward relationship, the film’s handheld digital camera, and the noted improvised acting are all classically mumblecore.Nights and Weekendshighlights the feasibility of low-budget production as the film comes at the end of Swanberg’s four-movie run over three years. This film also stands out as Gerwig’s first foray into the field of directing.
Now known for her work onLady Bird,Little Women, andBarbie, the actor-turned-director established her directing chops on early projects with Swanberg and Baumbach. As arguably the most successful member of the Diane Fink School of Filmmaking, Gerwig has grown immensely since her indie cinema days. Her participation inNights and Weekendsmarks the Hollywood auteur’s bold entry into the filmmaking space.
As one of the three defining films screened at the 2005 SXSW Film Festival,Mutual Appreciationcan be credited as one of the movies that helped start the mumblecore movement. Director Andrew Bujalski, who frequently shot on film instead of digital cameras, shoots black-and-white 16mm for this fraught character study of a wandering band-less musician.
Mutual Appreciationdisplays a more composed cinematography when compared to its contemporaries.The characters are still messy and clumsy, but the film’s artifice remains constructed around them. The defining feature which separates Bujalski’s movies from the rest of the mumblecore group is his affinity for shooting on film.
While the advent of digital technology allows filmmakers to be unprecious with their takes, working through improvised scenes and leaving room for experimentation, shooting on film requires a director to be a little more thoughtful.Mutual Appreciation, like all of Bujalski’s movies, is predicated on written dialogue and adherence to a script. This adds a level of mastery to his films,as all the acting performances still retain that iconic naturalism found in mumblecore movies.
The Puffy Chair
The protagonist discovers on eBay a replica of a sun lounger that was used by his father a long time ago. The journey that follows to pick up and deliver the chair as a birthday present for his father in Atlanta takes unexpected twists and turns.
The third film from the trio of SXSW mumblecore originators is 2005’sThe Puffy Chair, a film directed by indie powerhouse duo Jay and Mark Duplass and denoted asNetflix’s first feature film acquisition. The pair of directing brothers made their debut with this mumblecore classic, starring Mark as the abrasively explosive Josh.
As another film which takes an honest look at complicated relationships,The Puffy Chairtranslates its raw emotionality into a frenetic visual style. Like an omniscient presence floating alongside the improvising main characters, the camera feels like a distinct character within the film’s makeup.
In comparison to other mumblecore fellows, The Duplass Brothers took their energetic filmmaking style into the greater entertainment landscape by writing, directing, producing, and acting in various films and television series.Though they haven’t directed a film since 2012, their stamp on the mumblecore movement and cinema culture overall cannot be understated.With the success ofThe Puffy Chair, Jay and Mark Duplass helped establish a filmmaking mode which would launch the next generation of independent filmmakers.
Funny Ha Ha (2002)
Though 2002’sFunny Ha Hapredates the origins of the term ‘mumblecore,’the film is often credited as the first of its kind.Film director Andrew Bujalski makes his definitive directorial debut with another rough-around-the-edges character study, this time featuring directionless drifter Marnie as she settles into her post-grad life. Bujalski shows a proficiency in excruciatingly painful cringe, dragging audiences through awkward situations and Marnie’s unsightly self-deprecation.
Funny Ha Haemboldens as such a strong statement film and was clearly an inspiration for films likeFrances HaandNights and Weekends. Although he claims to have never intentionally started a mumblecore movement, Bujalski’s contributions to cinema certainly require a special title.
Before Jay and Mark Duplass, before Joe Swanberg, before Greta Gerwig and Lena Dunham,it was the daring proclamation ofFunny Ha Hawhich announced the arrival of mumblecore mania. The film director has since moved onto bigger societal themes and movies with bigger movie stars, but his indie spirit is still hitched to the mumblecore wagon.
