Bound (1996 film)

Bound
Theatrical release poster
Directed byThe Wachowskis[a]
Written byThe Wachowskis
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyBill Pope
Edited byZach Staenberg
Music byDon Davis
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release dates
  • August 31, 1996 (1996-08-31) (Venice)
  • October 4, 1996 (1996-10-04) (US)
Running time
108 minutes[2]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$6 million[3]
Box office$7 million[4]

Bound is a 1996 American neo-noir[5] erotic crime thriller film written and directed by the Wachowskis[a] in their feature film directorial debut. It stars Jennifer Tilly, Gina Gershon and Joe Pantoliano. The film centers on Violet (Tilly), a gun moll who longs to escape her relationship with her mobster boyfriend Caesar (Pantoliano), enters into a clandestine affair with alluring ex-con Corky (Gershon), and the two women hatch a scheme to steal $2 million of Mafia money.

Bound was the first film directed by the Wachowskis, and they took inspiration from Billy Wilder to tell a noir story filled with sex and violence. Financed by Dino De Laurentiis, the film was made on a tight budget with the help of frugal crew members including cinematographer Bill Pope. The directors initially struggled to cast the lesbian characters of Violet and Corky before securing Tilly and Gershon. To choreograph the sex scenes, the directors employed sex educator Susie Bright as an ad hoc intimacy coordinator, and she also made a cameo appearance in the film.

Bound received several festival awards and positive reviews from film critics who praised the humor and style of the directors as well as the realistic portrayal of a lesbian relationship in a mainstream film. Detractors of the film found its plot superficial and criticized the violence as excessive. In the years since its release, the film has developed a cult following, particularly among LGBT+ audiences.[5][b]


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  1. ^ "Bound (1996)". Swedish Film Database. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
  2. ^ "BOUND (18)". British Board of Film Classification. September 20, 1996. Retrieved June 6, 2015.
  3. ^ Marx, Christy (2005). The Wachowski Brothers: Creators of the Matrix. The Rosen Publishing Group. pp. 19–21. ISBN 1-4042-0264-1.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference BoxOfficeMojo was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b Douglas, James Robert (July 29, 2021). "Bound: the Wachowskis' immaculately crafted queer thriller was a test-run for The Matrix". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference CST was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ "Bound". Internet Movie Poster Awards. 1996. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
  8. ^ Dry, Jude; Foreman, Alison (June 21, 2023). "The 23 Best Lesbian Movies, from 'D.E.B.S.' to 'Carol'". IndieWire. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  9. ^ "25 of the Best Lesbian Films of All Time". Harper's Bazaar. June 21, 2022. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  10. ^ La Jeunesse, Marilyn (May 24, 2022). "41 Best Lesbian Movies to Watch Right Now". Teen Vogue. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  11. ^ "The Best Lesbian Films to Watch for Pride Month and All Year Long". Elle. May 9, 2023. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  12. ^ Crucchiola, Jordan (April 30, 2018). "40 Essential Lesbian Romance Films". Vulture. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  13. ^ Srivastava, Khushi (June 26, 2023). "15 best lesbian movies to watch online; From Crush to The Half of It". Pinkvilla. Retrieved August 21, 2023.