Pre-modernism, modernism, postmodernism and metamodernism
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It varies slightly depending on the exact discipline. This is a huge question without any real shortcuts to understanding it.
In the simplest terms…
Modernism is when various types of art began abiding by conventions and rules that, aided by mass media and globalization could be easily understood by almost anyone. In film, modernism would be a suitable description of the films of the Studio system and made under the Hays Code. The classics with obvious good guys and bad guys, and clear cut morality, all made in much the same fashion.
Post-Modernism is when artists decided to rebel against those very conventions and rules. It was a return to experimental art. Post-modernism in film really started in the late-60’s with countercultural films like The Trip and Easy Rider, but carried through to the 70’s with the New Hollywood movement who were a group of young filmmakers that broke all the rules and people loved it. This is when morality in film became gray and you were allowed to root for the bad guys.
Meta modernism is a revolt against post-modernism, essentially calling it out for not being experimental enough. Deadpool and Rick & Morty are metamodernism. The constant fourth wall breaks and extreme edginess with all the references to other pieces of contemporary art… yeah, metamodernism is just running around screaming “Rules are just a construct! They’re not even real!”
And since I skipped it… Pre-Modernism is anything from before the modernism trend crystallized and became identifiable. It’s actually not even really a thing in its own right, just a collection of earlier, less notable trends.
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