Neo-Noir Watch: Bound (1996)

Watched:  05/09/2026

Format:  Criterion Disc

Viewing:  Third

Director:  The Wachowskis

I know I saw Bound (1996) once in the theater and once on VHS.  But it's been at least since last century since I've given it a whirl.  

The movie is mostly famous for the not-exactly-subtle eroticism between stars Jennifer Tilly and Gina Gershon.  I am not going to undersell the Wachowskis clearly seeing the erotic thrillers of the 1990's and saying "hold my beer".  

And while I enjoy a bit of post-9:00 PM cable in any movie, I think this is a great example of a neo-noir thriller that understands genre conventions and doesn't think sexy sex in a noir somehow elevates the concept so much it excuses abysmal writing.  Maybe not every line in this movie lands, but from a plotting standpoint and from a character standpoint this thing lands.   

Bound is also very 90's in its desire to do something with art direction - actually use the sets to help tell the story.  I love the look in this movie - the icy interior of Violet's apartment, that feels like a sterile museum.*   While Corky's environs is decaying maximalism with deeply hued and patterned wallpapers.  When they do have sex, it's in Corky's one room apartment on a stained mattress - getting down to gritty realism.  It's curious, by the way, that Joe and Caesar, who hate each other, both have similar places, down to the art on the wall that's just a circle.

That said, this is a smart, small movie - using few locations and centering in Violet and Caesar's place, with some action in the nextdoor apartment Corky is renovating.

Add in the cheeky cinematography that walks us to their coupling - where are some of these lightsources?  and that pipe shot - yowza!  And how the cinematography pushes the story along - those shared walls, the blood in the sterile environment?  Well done. 

The real smarts of Bound come from setting up a clockwork operation and then kicking the legs out from under the schemes and audience expectations a few times - just enough to keep the viewer off-kilter and unsure what will pay-off and how.  It doesn't let anyone show up as a complete moron or patsy, and that's frankly a bit unusual.  So it can feel like the movie isn't *streamlined* to get us to the end.  And that's great.  

In a way, the over-the-top sexuality of the first act is necessary because it sets up the questions and stakes of the rest of the movie.  Why else would these two go in on a scheme - and will it pay off for either of them?  Especially as they stop sharing screentime for a huge chunk of the movie's runtime.  We have to buy that there's at least a chance these two really do have a connection after their chance encounter and short shared history.  

Tilly kind of found her rhythm with this movie, and she's sort of been this version of Jennifer Tilly ever since.  And that's great - if you find something that works, make a career of it.  Gershon has always been mercurial as a performer - there's a lot of great performances, but there's no "oh, that's a Gina Gershon role" where you'd slot her.  And I appreciate that she leaned so hard into her tough girl persona even if you can see she's working through "how would Corky move?" in some scenes.

This movie was where I figured out who Joe Pantoliano is.  He's @#$%ing great in the flick - and his Caesar is a curious antagonist.  After all, he's being lied to, has no idea what is actually happening, and everyone is fine with him getting killed.  That he's an asshole is beside the point.  

We also have a young Christopher Meloni, character guys Barry Kivel and Peter Sellos, and plenty of others.  

It's still mind bending to me that the 90's were a place where someone could have one movie like Bound under their belt - co-written and directed by Lana and Lilly Wachowski - and then not be shoved into the corporate machine to lend credence to big IP machines, but instead were given the resources to go do The Matrix.   I dunno, maybe The Matrix was way cheaper than I thought at the time.  I haven't seen it in 27 years.**

Part of me wishes Lana and Lilly would back up and make a sequel to Bound rather than worrying about the Matrix as a property.  Or at least something in this mode, because they had a real knack for noir.

* a look fully embraced for some reason by Millennials in what will age as well as toadstool wallpaper and orange shag carpet.

** I was not a huge fan of the movie and only saw it once, and none of the sequels.