In a series where writers celebrate their most rewatched comfort films, one picks the 1996 romantic thriller Bound. The writer, who typically prefers darker fare like body horror and slasher films, admits that Bound reveals a softer side to their viewing habits, evoking the gushy feelings of a school crush.
The film, the directorial debut of the Wachowski sisters, follows plumber Corky (Gina Gershon) and mafia moll Violet (Jennifer Tilly) in an opposites-attract scenario. Their chemistry is palpable, with the film shot through a sapphic gaze, featuring close-ups of Corky's hands working on pipes in languorous detail. Despite both leads being ostensibly cis and straight, the film is a masterclass in lesbian eroticism, seamlessly embodying a masc/femme dynamic.
Gershon's transformation from her role in Showgirls to the butch Corky is striking, while Tilly delivers a nuanced performance as a femme trapped by her beauty. The plot sees Corky, fresh out of prison, agreeing to help Violet steal $2m from the mob. The crime plot is secondary to the relationship, though it includes some femmephobic overtones as Corky doubts Violet's sexuality.
The film draws an equivalence between Corky's prison time and Violet's years as a closeted lesbian in straight relationships. At the end, both are free: Corky from the justice system, and Violet from cis-heterosexual society. The writer notes that, while the Wachowskis were not out at the time, they bravely depicted the cheek and pleasure of sapphic relationships.
