What Are Underrated Indie Enemy To-Lovers Movie Gems?

Some of my favorite enemy-to-lovers vibes come from smaller films that don’t announce themselves as romcoms but sneak up on you. One pick I keep recommending is 'Safety Not Guaranteed' because the lead pair start off with mutual suspicion — she thinks he’s nuts, he thinks she’s superficial — and their sarcasm slowly gives way to trust. It’s indie at its best: low-budget, character-driven, and unexpectedly warm.

If you want something more intense and stylized, 'The Handmaiden' is a masterclass in deception turning into genuine feeling. The setup is cruel and clever, but the emotional payoff is real: the two leads go from manipulation to deep attachment in a way that feels earned. 'My Summer of Love' is darker — it’s about class and manipulation, and while the relationship it depicts becomes romantic, it’s messy and uncertain, which makes the film unforgettable. For queer-centered stories, 'Saving Face' handles cultural pressure and the awkward beginnings of a relationship with real heart, while 'Kissing Jessica Stein' is a lighter indie that captures the awkward, almost combative stumbling into something unexpected.

I like to match the film to my mood: for sweet and slow-burn pick 'Safety Not Guaranteed'; for sultry, sharp, and daring pick 'The Handmaiden'; for gritty, complicated chemistry pick 'My Summer of Love'. They’re the kind of movies that make you talk about them afterward, which is half the fun.

I get a thrill from finding those little indie movies that start off with snark, distrust, or flat-out deception and then quietly slide into real chemistry. If you like enemies-to-lovers that feel messy and human rather than tropey, try these picks.

'The Handmaiden' is a glorious, twisted example: it begins with con artistry and manipulation, but the emotional arc between the two women becomes heartbreakingly real. Park Chan-wook’s film is lush, erotic, and darkly playful — perfect if you want an intense, slow-burn shift from antagonism to genuine attachment. 'Safety Not Guaranteed' is the opposite vibe, a small, silly indie where a skeptical intern and an oddball man planning time travel trade barbs and ultimately find tenderness; it’s quiet, funny, and oddly sweet. 'My Summer of Love' is raw and a little dangerous — two girls from different backgrounds meet with suspicion and class friction, which morphs into an intoxicating and uneasy romance.

For something more cerebral, 'The One I Love' plays with identity and trust; it’s a tiny sci-fi-tinged relationship puzzle where a couple’s fragility turns into surprising tenderness amid bizarre circumstances. 'Saving Face' offers cultural friction and familial expectations along with a lovable slow-burn romance between two women who initially clash over honesty and identity. And if you want erotic, art-house power-play that still carries a thread of adversarial attraction, 'The Duke of Burgundy' explores control, negotiation, and how conflict can be a weird kind of intimacy.

These films all scratch that particular itch: initial friction that flares into connection. I often rewatch them when I want something that remembers people are complicated, and I love how each one handles the shift in tone — sometimes violent, sometimes tender, always interesting.

When I want underrated enemy-to-lovers films, I look for small movies where the friction feels real rather than manufactured. 'Safety Not Guaranteed' is an indie gem: the banter starts as suspicion and becomes something touching and human. 'The Handmaiden' is darker and more cinematic — a story of con and counter-con that blossoms into genuine love despite its manipulative opening. 'My Summer of Love' gives that uneasy, combustible chemistry where attraction grows out of power imbalances and resentment, which makes the eventual intimacy fraught and memorable. For lighter fare, 'Kissing Jessica Stein' and 'Saving Face' offer queer-centered takes where awkwardness and cultural frictions slowly thaw into connection. These picks cover sweet, dangerous, and art-house flavors of enemies becoming lovers — pick one depending on whether you want tender, twisted, or tense—and enjoy the ride.