Best Indie romances on Netflix India, Prime Video & other OTT that are worth your time

There's a certain kind of liberation that independent cinema exudes and this is largely reflected in the unorthodox approach that Indie filmmakers take to tell their stories. The romance genre, in particular, has seen a lot of groundbreaking work that has not only pushed the envelope but also allowed mainstream cinema, as it were, to employ some of these sensibilities. 

Luckily for us, Indian OTT platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Jio Cinema & others boast some of the best titles in the 'romance' space for us to explore. So, pulling out five exceptional titles from this repertoire, we have put together a small list that will help you understand and soak up the true essence of this kind of filmmaking.

The Spectacular Now (2013)

James Ponsoldt's romance drama goes beyond the genre conventions and casts a much lighter and relatable gaze on young love. Miles Teller plays Sutter, a high school student who has done very little apart from partying and drinking in his senior year, and Shailene Woodley plays Aimee, an affable teenager who is temperamentally quite different to him. However, when the two end up meeting under slightly odd and random circumstances, love blossoms between the two but they must first wade through the challenges thrown at them by life. In essence, the film also works beautifully as a coming-of-age drama.

Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video

In The Mood For Love (2000)

Very few filmmakers across the world have been able to present and dissect romance the way Wong Kar-wai does. Much like some of his other great works, In The Mood For Love is a romance that is visually rich and much of its charm emerges from Christopher Doyle's exceptional cinematography. There is a sense of enigma and broodiness that the master filmmaker imbues the film with that makes it so relatable that, over the years, it has found cult status across the world. The soundtrack of the film, which ranges from the melancholic Yumeji's Theme to Nat King Cole's take on the Cuban son Quizás, Quizás, Quizás, is another major highlight of In The Mood For Love.

Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video

Call Me By Your Name (2017)

Luca Guadagnino's films often feature bucolic and very picturesque Italian backdrops but the irony is that at the fore, he is attempting to tell something equally poignant and melancholic. His 2017 film Call Me By Your Name (written by James Ivory), takes us back to the 1980s to present a lovely tale of romance between 17-year-old Elio Perlman (Timothée Chalamet) and Oliver (Armie Hammer). The latter happens to be seven years older than Elio and also his father's assistant - much like The Spectacular Now, Call Me By Your Name, too, is centred as much around the coming-of-journey of Elio as it is around his romantic relationship with Oliver.

Where to watch: Netflix

Lost in Translation (2003)

Sofia Coppola's seminal film might not be 'romantic' in nature as much as it is a tender tale of loneliness & friendship that has traces of romance in it. Bill Murray plays Bob Harris, a once-popular American movie star who reaches Tokyo on a work commitment and runs into Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson), another American who is briefly stationed in the city because of her husband's job. Coppola's film, in essence, is a meditative understanding of how two completely different individuals come together to forge an unlikely relationship that transcends conventions. The film won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay with Murray receiving a nomination in the Best Actor category.

Where to watch: Jio Cinema

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

When two unique yet equally fascinating voices like Michel Gondry and Charlie Kaufman come together, the result is a bizarre, supremely affective concoction called Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Joel (Jim Carrey) and Clementine (Kate Winslet) kick off their romance when they meet each other at a train station but little do they know that they have been lovers in the recent past and that they both have had their memories of each other clinically erased! What transpires is a non-linear tale that's odd, funny and also very delicate in how it sees modern-day romance. A must-watch if you like your romcoms being a tad twisted.

Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video