Bound

I was very surprised when I came across this film, and even more impressed when I heard it was a first time director.

The editing is quick, but the narrative remains grounded in the complex characters. I could see they were all messy, which I like. I hate when movies have one note characters. I like when the good guys/girls are a little bad and the bad guys/girls are a little good. It's real life!

The acting was top notch and the story and performances had me holding my breath in multiple moments and I never knew what was going to happen next. Looking forward to seeing what this director does next. Surprising.

Great acting, great story, great indie film!

Rarely do I come across an Indie film of this quality. It makes me wonder how an Indie film breaks through to the next level.

This film is very emotional and stressful, and gave me a little bit of anxiety, but it was worth it for the cathartic end. It didn't have a ton of dialogue, and makes of you really watch and listen. It definitely does not spoon feed, so if you want a movie where you can just shut your brain off and not think, this is not the film for you.

I recommend giving this movie a shot. I know I'll be looking out for whatever this Director makes next.

This film made me think of Denis Villeneuve's PRISONER. It had the dark gritty energy where the characters, especially the family members always seem to be on edge and ready to do something crazy at any moment. Like they are all hyper explosive and ready to blow.

There are moments of humor and cuteness (insert pocket squirrel in any scene) to help cut the heaviness of the themes and intensity. Thank god, I don't think I could have stayed with it if it didn't, and it needed it.

Acting was very good across the board, cinematography was strong, and the fast quick cuts by the editor added to the intense feeling the main character was going through.

I saw this movie at a festival and the rewatched it because I felt like I missed something. It was most likely due to the fact I had a few drinks at happy hour and then missed the first 5 minutes of the film. I forgot there are no previews at film festivals.

Because the movie starts right away and the director has moment of very subtle storytelling, if you blink you will miss something that might not be super important later, but will add to the layers of the film. This is what I loved most about the film.

There is a big story going on, but also many little stories at the same time. Some with characters, some with objects, some with actions. Very cool and well thought out.

This was a very ambitions film with a lot going on. Most of it is very good. The acting, the locations, the tension, the score, the surprises. I like surprises, this one had a lot of them and some very unique complex characters. There was a lot of really cool locations that made me feel in the dirtiness with the too.

One surprise for me I'm still deciding whether I liked or not was the change in genre at the halfway point. Instead of sticking to what was a very nice coming of age underdog story, it flips a bit to a revenge thriller. I applaud the writer for the bold move, but I wonder what the story would have been if it didn't switch. I guess it worked since I didn't shut with the film off and I did enjoy it.