Bound

Set against a gritty Chicago backdrop, the film follows Corky, a hardened ex-con who uses a construction job to rebuild her life. While hammering through a tense cityscape, she becomes neighbors with Caesar, a jittery mobster harboring paranoia, and Violet, his stylish girlfriend who lingers in the doorway with a quick smile and a dangerous charm. Their uneasy orbit pulls Corky into a web of deception, leverage, and flirtation, testing loyalties and demanding hard choices. The more Corky fits into this volatile corner of the streets, the more she finds herself navigating a maze of power plays, double crosses, and choices that could cost her everything. The story keeps tightening as suspicion grows, with trust breaking apart under pressure.

Directed by Lilly and Lana Wachowski in their feature debut, Bound arrived in 1996 as an original screenplay. The film had a 4.5 million dollar budget and was shot on location in Chicago with neon noir lighting.

Bound is often cited as a watershed moment when queer romance met mainstream crime thriller. Its central relationship between Corky and Violet helped broaden representation in genre cinema and influenced later indie thrillers and neo-noir visuals. The Wachowskis' bold mixing of sexuality and suspense is frequently noted in film history.

Critics praised Bound for its tight pacing, crisp dialogue, and confident direction. They highlighted its collision of crime and romantic desire as a fresh take on the neo-noir formula, with themes of power, trust, and survival under pressure. The performances, especially Gershon and Tilly, earned strong notices from critics worldwide.

Bound did not snag major nominations in the big awards, but it earned praise within genre and indie circles for its bold direction and standout performances. The film’s careful handling of genre conventions and its groundbreaking portrayal of a lesbian romance drew retrospective acclaim and helped redefine queer thrillers.