Directors: Lilly & Lana Wachowski (formerly the Wachowski brothers)
Starring: Gina Gershon, Jennifer Tilly, Joe Pantoliano, John P. Ryan, Christopher Meloni
MPAA: Rated R for strong sexuality, violence, and language
Genres: LGBT+, Thriller/Suspense
Release Dates: 10/4/96 (Wide Theatrical); 6/19/01 (Disc/Streaming-HBO Max, CBS All Access)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96%
Bound is exactly the kind of sexy, stylish thriller with intriguing characters that still holds up over two decades later. It’s almost like an audition for the Wachowskis, who would go on to make the Matrix trilogy. Much of the stylized action and cinematography in that franchise is visible here, albeit on a much smaller scale. Gina Gershon and Jennifer Tilly are perfectly cast; their characters are seemingly opposites, yet have some things in common. The script is riddled with enough cliches to make a person cringe, at times, but the actors and directors sell it so well that this almost doesn’t matter. Joe Pantoliano gives an especially frantic, intense performance, but he can’t outshine the women. What’s better than seeing two women (who fall in love) kick ass and outsmart men?
B+