pretension

“Art film” is a bit of a dirty term, frequently offered with a sneer when discussing a work so dripping with pretension that even an Airblade wouldn’t be of any help.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

The air of prestige and haughty pretension that surrounds even the mere mention of the Cannes Film Festival might not conjure the words “shark movie” in your mind.

From Salon ● Jun. 8, 2025

There was a baby-knit culotte and matching polo with Gucci stripe detailing, worn without pretension.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 22, 2023

The miniseries retains the series’ basic-cable lack of pretension, its humor, its promotion of conversation over action.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2023

We have responded to this distant Austrian’s voice across the years and the continents so spontaneously because his music seems simply to flow out of him, intuitively, without cynicism or intellectual pretension.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

He has no pretensions, but he’s completely comfortable on camera—something to director Lee’s advantage and which probably helped the pupils to relax.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026

“Fuze” was one of my favorite treats at last fall’s Toronto International Film Festival, although unlike many of the other films it premiered alongside, it has no pretensions of being an awards contender.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 23, 2026

Nearly everyone involved in this production has secrets to hide and pretensions to put on display.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 3, 2026

However, Wales will relish the chance to stick a spanner in the spokes and puncture such title pretensions.

From BBC ● Mar. 14, 2025

And perhaps it was not evil I saw but merely the way of all hearts when fear has stripped off the husk of kind pretensions.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver