Credit: Netflix

Ugh, it’s so exhausting to watch rom-coms cashing in on the idea of two people falling in love when everything is sorted. Usually, it is followed by a perfect climax as if there is only a happily ever after. Absolute nonsense, if you think about it. The best romances are those when two people meet amidst absolute chaos. And if you think that’s the kind of romance right up your alley, then Netflix has a perfect rom-com for you.

And no, we haven’t brought any of the recent rom-coms for you because you might have watched them, or they’re too overrated. So, it’s time to revisit the 2016 classic Tramps; since everyone is getting massively nostalgic for 2016, you might as well join in.

Directed by Adam Leon, Tramps did not have a grand arrival on Netflix. It starred Grace Van Patten and Callum Turner and, to date, remains one of the silent classics of Netflix. Bit overlooked, if we’re being honest.

The story of this film sounds almost too simple. Danny, who is clearly not the most reliable bloke in the room, agrees to carry out a suitcase exchange. In and out, job done. Except, obviously, it goes wrong. Immediately! And that’s where Ellie comes in, who knows exactly how this sort of thing is meant to go and has no patience for someone mucking it up.

But the thing is, that suitcase job wasn’t as simple as it sounded. Once they mess it up, they can’t just walk away and forget about it. The people involved actually expect it to go right, so now Danny and Ellie have to go back and fix it before it turns into an even bigger problem.

So now the two of them are stuck trying to fix this one mistake that keeps getting worse. They are moving across New York, taking trains and random detours. Everything seems out of control, but not completely lost either. It’s all a bit improvised.

And here’s something that actually makes Tramps more interesting than it looks at first glance. The film was never a Netflix original. It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), which already tells you it wasn’t made as a typical rom-com. Netflix picked it up later, and that’s probably why it feels a bit different from the usual stuff that rom-coms Netflix serve us.

Adam Leon, the director, is known for making films that feel very close to real life, and you can see that here. A lot of Tramps was shot on real New York locations, and you can feel that in how the city looks in the movie. That’s intentional so that the movie looks believable, and it did.

The film is only 90 minutes long, and that tells you that there is no unnecessary lingering. It is fast-paced, and so it’s perfect for a Sunday so that you can watch a good movie and have space for other things. And, unlike many Netflix movies, Tramps is not designed to be second-screen content. You’ll have to keep your eyes on the screen for the entire duration because if you skip, you miss.

Also, the script doesn’t over-explain the situation. You are not given long backstories or detailed explanations about the people behind the suitcase job. You figure things out as the characters do, which keeps you slightly unsure the whole time.

Even though Tramps has a crime setup, it never turns into a crime film. It stays a character story. The job matters, but only enough to keep the characters moving. The real focus is always on how these two people deal with something unexpected and dangerous.

If you like the setup and are in for some real fun this Sunday, then press play on Tramps.