Bound (1996)
86%RT Audience Score: 83%
Awards & Nominations: 2 nominations
Bound’s more titillating elements attracted attention, but it’s the stylish direction, solid performances, and entertaining neo-noir caper plot that make it worth a watch
Bound is like a Trojan horse, but instead of soldiers, it’s filled with a steamy and stylish crime thriller that’s become a cult classic. The Wachowskis’ writing and directing is both skillful and playful, and the wonderful score by Don Davis and stunning cinematography by Bill Pope make this movie a pure cinema experience. Plus, Gina Gershon and Jennifer Tilly’s chemistry is hotter than a stolen diamond. It’s a smart and vital classic of modern queer cinema that will leave you gasping for more.
Production Company(ies)
Compagnie Industrielle et Commerciale Cinématographique Films,
Distributor
Gramercy Pictures
Release Type
Streaming, Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
Folsom St & N Indiana St, Los Angeles, California, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for strong violence and language, and for sexuality and drug content
Year of Release
1993
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:1.66 : 1
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Runtime:1h 48m
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Language(s):English, Spanish, Arabic
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Oct 4, 1996 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 11, 1997
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Jennifer Tilly, Gina Gershon, Joe Pantoliano, Barry Kivel, Christopher Meloni, John P Ryan, directed by Lilly Wachowski, Lana Wachowski, written by Lilly Wachowski, Lana Wachowski, neo-noir, LGBTQ+, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Drew Gregory, Ryan Gilbey, Lisa Schwarzbaum, Mike Clark, Roger Ebert, James Berardinelli, Tristan Taormino, Brian Richards, Travis Johnson, Tom Meek, Matt Brunson, produced by Andrew Lazar, Stuart Boros, R rating, Gramercy Pictures, Don Davis, Bill Pope, gangster, caper, lesbian, steamy, suspenseful, stylish, solid performances, intricate plan, escape, two million dollars, mob’s money, passion, love affair, alive, violent, girlfriend, prison, renovations, apartment, next door, sparks fly, elevator, important part
Worldwide gross: $4,496,583
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $9,340,550
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,982
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 1,018,599
US/Canada gross: $4,496,583
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $9,340,550
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,632
US/Canada opening weekend: $1,002,548
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $2,082,548
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,200
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $35,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $72,703,931
Production budget ranking: 579
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $39,151,067
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): -$102,514,448
ROI to date (est.): -92%
ROI ranking: 1,968
Gina Gershon – Corky
Joe Pantoliano – Caesar
Barry Kivel – Shelly
Christopher Meloni – Johnnie Marzzone
John P. Ryan – Micky Malnato
Director(s)
Lilly Wachowski, Lana Wachowski
Writer(s)
Lilly Wachowski, Lana Wachowski
Producer(s)
Andrew Lazar, Stuart Boros
Film Festivals
Tribeca
Awards & Nominations
2 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (49) | Top Critics (9) | Fresh (44) | Rotten (5)
Bound is one of the great Trojan horses in cinema history.
October 30, 2020
Drew Gregory
Autostraddle
TOP CRITIC
Bound is modern noir, with the obligatory iconography and a plot you need a flashlight to find your way out of. But it’s hard to put your faith in film-makers whose Year Zero is Blood Simple.
December 7, 2018
Ryan Gilbey
Independent (UK)
TOP CRITIC
September 7, 2011 | Rating: B+
Lisa Schwarzbaum
Entertainment Weekly
TOP CRITIC
Some caper movies build suspense, while others tweak the genre with tongue lancing cheek. But this lesbian caper pic often pulls off both feats in the same scene, even simultaneously.
January 1, 2000 | Rating: 3.5/4
Mike Clark
USA Today
TOP CRITIC
Bound is one of those movies that works you up, wrings you out and leaves you gasping. It’s pure cinema, spread over several genres.
January 1, 2000 | Rating: 4/4
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
TOP CRITIC
January 1, 2000 | Rating: 3.5/4
James Berardinelli
ReelViews
TOP CRITIC
Tilly slips into the role of Violet with the elegance and prowess of a woman who has worn stilettos every day of her life.
June 7, 2022
Tristan Taormino
The Advocate
The wonderful score composed by Don Davis. The stunning cinematography by Bill Pope. The writing and directing by the Wachowskis, which is both skillful and playful.
November 6, 2021
Brian Richards
Pajiba
Bound [is] more than a simple but sexy genre exercise, [it’s] a smart and vital classic of modern queer cinema.
July 1, 2021
Travis Johnson
Flicks.com.au
Despite being shot on a shoestring budget, the film impresses stylistically, wearing its pulpy and noir-ish influences on its sleeve, creating a refreshingly campy crime thriller that has become something of a cult classic.
April 10, 2021
Tom Meek
Cambridge Day
A steamy crime thriller (and significant LGBTQ film) that contains more suggestive double entendres in its dialogue than perhaps any movie this side of Double Indemnity.
April 6, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/4
Matt Brunson
Film Frenzy
One of the best movies about “perfect thefts” in the last decades.[Full Review in Spanish]
July 16, 2019 | Rating: 4/5
John Tones
Espinof…
Plot
Based on the true life experiences of poet Jimmy Santiago Baca, the film focuses on step-brothers Paco and Cruz, and their bi-racial cousin Miklo. It opens in 1972, as the three are members of an East L.A. gang known as the “Vatos Locos”, and the story focuses on how a violent crime and the influence of narcotics alter their lives. Miklo is incarcerated and sent to San Quentin, where he makes a “home” for himself. Cruz becomes an exceptional artist, but a heroin addiction overcomes him with tragic results. Paco becomes a cop and an enemy to his “carnal”, Miklo.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The film features Jennifer Tilly, Gina Gershon, and Joe Pantoliano in the lead roles.
Lilly-Wachowski.jpg
