TLDR: We should stop being so afraid of sounding pretentious. Art needs room to try, to fail, to be cringey, and to grow. Yes, let’s stay critical, but don’t let cynicism smother creativity. I’d rather sit through 10 messy films with something to say than one perfect one that says nothing.
Being pretentious is, by definition, “attempting to impress by affecting greater importance, talent, culture, etc., than is actually possessed.” In layman’s terms, I see it as trying to be deep and profound when you don’t really know what you’re talking about. You know it when you see it.
People love to throw the label “pretentious” at movies like Apocalypse Now, Wavelength, Only God Forgives, or even Drive. University films often get hit with the same tag. And it’s not just film, contemporary art gets this all the time too. Think of the blue square painting, or the banana duct-taped to a wall. Audiences see something that looks like it’s trying to be deep, but feels silly or meaningless instead.
But here’s my point: we, as a society, need to chill out about pretentiousness. We should stop being so allergic to it, and more importantly, stop being so afraid of looking pretentious ourselves.
You can see this fear play out in mainstream film all the time, especially in what people call “Marvel Humor.” That moment when a character says something sincere or heartfelt, and another immediately cracks a joke to break the tension? That’s not just comedy, it’s a reflexive need to undercut sincerity. A fear of sounding too “deep.”
However, I feel, art should be cringeworthy sometimes. It should ask big, uncomfortable questions. Not every filmmaker or artist will succeed at that, but does that mean they shouldn’t try?
I’d honestly rather watch ten movies that try to say something and fail than one that plays it safe the whole way through. Art isn’t just about polish, it’s about astute theme and big ideas. Let people chase inspiration. Let them wander into the unknown. That’s how they find their voice. Sometimes that means trying on big ideas, even if they don’t fully land. That’s part of the process.
And who knows, maybe someone really does have something profound to say, but holds back because they’re afraid of looking foolish. I’d rather listen to 4 tales of sound and fury to get 1 that actually signifies something than listen to no tales at all.
That said, I’m not saying we should accept everything uncritically. We should still think carefully about authenticity. We shouldn’t blindly praise every blue square or banana taped to a wall. But lately, it feels like we’ve swung too far in the other direction, toward cynicism and immediate dismissal.
Where’s the romanticism? Is that banana truly meaningless? Could there be something to glean from it, a feeling, a message, even a joke that resonates?
Ask yourself this: Can an inkblot be a beautiful work of art? Maybe it wasn’t made with intention, but if it happens to resemble a butterfly, am I supposed to ignore the beauty? Should I treat it like a meaningless smudge, or let it remind me of springtime, flowers, and sunlight? Even if it’s accidental, even if it’s not “profound,” isn’t that feeling still worth something?
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Totally agree, but I’m a snob
There are some things where people try to be deep but it comes out more like r/im14andthisisdeep, but I think you’re right people have a hard time seeing naked authenticity and get uncomfortable so they just want to lable it as cringe.
100% people who claim things are “pretentious” are really saying that they don’t initially get it, feel excluded because of that, and would rather hate on the person suggesting the experience than to actually go have the experience.
Anti-pretension is rooted in the same kind of insecurities as anti-intellectualism. Really whether something is “pretentious” or not is in the eye of the beholder, and the dumber you are, the more pretentious everything seems.
Pretentious films can be good. But it’s hard to do. If not done well. It feels like the audience is being talked down to the entire time. Which makes it a bad movie.
Most of the time they don’t do it right.
“Where’s the romanticism? Is that banana truly meaningless? Could there be something to glean from it, a feeling, a message, even a joke that resonates?”
I think that one was just a banana bro.
But I get what you are saying. That is an interesting take on it. I enjoy abstract art so some of the “pretentious” art vibes with me.
Correct me if I’m wrong but I feel like this is a particularly big problem in America and a growing one in the West because of anti academic sentiments.
I love artsy stuff that is made with humility and light-heartedness, but so much of it lacks self-awareness to such an extreme degree, it is hard to enjoy.
I think pretentious gets thrown around more than it should, but there are some things that really are just pretentious. The Thin Red Line is thoughtful, Southland Tales is pretentious. Pretentious is pretending to be smart.
chatgpt ass writing style
Agree. Art is supposed to be challenging. I love a potato chip too, but sometimes a salad is tastier. (Or in this case, a superhero movie vs. a film.) The lack of critical thought given to media is a real problem in the US and we especially need to be doing better here.
I think the issues stem more from pretentious artists/fans than the art itself.
I dont think that’s why marvel humor sucks ass.
A film is only pretentious when it fails to live up to what it’s trying to do. The more it’s going for, the harder it is to get there, and potentially the more pretentious it can be.
I would argue that unless a film takes the risk of being seen as pretentious, it cannot be great.
It seems like people throw the word “pretentious” around when they are lacking in media literacy. It’s the same vibe as the kids who complained in high school about being asked to analyze symbolism in classic literature.
Agree.
IMO it’s kind of the whole point.
Not because I want to feel “better than the plebs” but because we lose so much when we dismiss “pretentiousness”. Which I think only gets negative connotation because not everyone “gets it” (but that’s what makes it special and interesting)
Edit: a letter
One person’s “pretentious” movie is another’s “deep” art experience. The term got popular in the period when anything which challenged the viewer was ridiculed on the YouTube for being “too much” “pretentious” and such. The real pretentious movies are actually much more common than just Oscar baits and independent art movies.
Any time you have a movie which pretends to be more than it can be, you have a pretentious movie.
I love your point of view but I think that the issue here is that uneducated people are deeming things as pretentious when they really aren’t. Yes, banana taped to a wall is pretentious (at least to me) but a black-and-white Hungarian arthouse film is not – it’s really something trying to convey a philosophical idea (or many of them).
When you deem the latter as pretentious without giving a good reason, you show your lack of education, being able to understand art etc. And since more and more are not educated very well, this trend is likely to grow, unfortunately.
I think it is fine but it’s always an excuse to charge something like a banana peel on a wall for a million dollars, or literally a blank canvas. How does that have to do with “people not getting it”. This comment section is unironically pretentious lol
I agree that “that’s pretentious” is a cope used by people who are afraid of not understanding BUT Only God Forgives is absolute booty cheeks. Looks cool tho.
Artsy and pretentious are two different things.
Pretentious implies it’s smarter or better than certain things. Nobody should aim to be pretentious. There is no good connotation of this word.
Artistic, deep, observational, sure. Pretentious? No.
The genuinely concerning and growing issue is the streak of anti-intellectualism that labels everything remotely challenging or different as pretentious or cringe.
Don’t compare Rothko to a banana taped to a wall
It sure is crazy how we stopped teaching students arts and music twenty years ago and now everyone under thirty thinks art is a money-laundering scheme and has no other value.
A lot of accusations of pretentiousness are actually just anti-intellectualism
Pretentious arthouse is my personal favourite lol
The Man From Earth is literally just a group of people sitting down and talking very intelligently and debating human history and geography, and it’s one of the best movies I’ve ever seen.
Irony needs to die. Let’s be earnest for a while.
I’m drawn to anything elitist. It challenges me. It’s served me well
Art is subjective, and we tend to forget that. I’ve less of an issue with something being “pretentious” than I do with the arrogance of people who feel obliged to judge the taste of others.
I can find something pretentious, and have no idea why my friend enjoys it. As long as I also understand that they have no obligation to give a single fuck what I think.
Ok I get what you’re saying and I agree. But like how can a movie be perfect if it says nothing?
Sounds like a pretty boring movie, which would disqualify it from perfection. Not that perfection is even possible to achieve in the first place.
sorry, i’m not gonna read all of that, and i think you’re confusing “daring” with “being a bighead”
but i agree 👍
One must know the joy of putting on an indie film with a group of friends and discussing the movie after watching (the movies that failed and the ones that succeeded)