'Bound' Review: An Emotional Story That Will Lure You in
- Becca Johnson
- 5 hours ago
- 3 min read
By Becca Johnson - May 19, 2025
Starring Pooya Mohseni (Terrifier) and Jessica Pimentel (Orange is the New Black), Bound is a directorial debut from Isaac Hirotsu Woofter. It follows Bella (Alexandra Faye Sadeghian), an introvert who flees to NYC with her pet flying squirrel to escape her overprotective drug-dealing stepfather. After successfully reinventing herself through the help of some found family, she realizes that she must return home and confront her dark past in order to be truly free.
With an outstanding lead performance, good character work and a strong message, Bound is a great indie gem that despite becoming a little clunky in its third act, is impressive nonetheless.
Bound is by no means an easy watch, as lead character Bella suffers quite a rough life. With a Mum who is very sick and a step-father with multiple struggles including aggression and addiction, her path is not an easy one which we learn from the get-go. Forced onto the streets with no job, money, friends or place to stay, Bellas journey is one most viewers could not even imagine going through. It soon becomes clear that everyone Bella meets is going through something, whether that be blackmail due to being undocumented or a lack of contact of contact with their kids.
Bound really shows us, through exceptional character development and a gritty script, that you never truly know what someone is going through, and we are all just trying to make it through as best we can. It’s a very dark character study/thriller, with viewer discretion advised due to multiple trigger warnings. However, it also nails the idea of hope, and has a comforting underlying sense of friendship and community running through it. The found family Bella makes is endearing, portraying the importance of a strong support system.
The movie works as well as it does due to the lead performance driving it forward. Alexandra Faye Sadeghian is utterly astounding as Bella, and if Bound had a wider audience, her performance would be nothing short of star making. She really aces the transition her character takes, from being down on her luck with nothing but her pet, to revenge-ridden, to content and happy - and occasionally back again. Sadeghian delivers such an emotional turn that makes Bella incredibly easy to root for, whilst showing how even those with the best intentions and conventionally ‘good’ people can get in these sticky situations.
A similar topic is explored with character Marta, played exceptionally well by Jessica Pimentel. A bar manager who offers Bella a place to stay alongside her friendship, she unfortunately has to do things she doesn’t want to for a quiet life, as being turned in due to her lack of documentation is threatened upon her. Pimentel is a standout alongside Sadeghian, with the pairs bond being a highlight of the film. Notable performances are also delivered by Pooya Mohseni, Bryant Carroll (Hit Man) and Jake Alexander.
Bound is at its best when more simplistic. Truly excelling in character work and setting a sombre yet hopeful scene on the NYC streets, it’s really good at creating a sense of tone. The original score compliments the scenes it’s placed within perfectly, and the cinematography is intimate yet dingy. It manages to be at its most compelling when following Bella on her difficult journey, from mixing with the wrong crowd to getting a job as a barista, stealing food from bins to making friends with a quirky designer. When it strays away from this narrative, this unfortunately unravels a little, particularly during the third act. As soon as it enters crime thriller territory, it comes undone, as it loses sense of what makes it so intimate and thought-provoking. A special story about a characters personal journey is traded in for guns, vendettas and master plans to take someone down. This feels a little out of place inside what was once a succinct story, and leads Bound to erring on the side of clunkiness.
Bound is a truly impressive indie flick that has the potential to strike a chord with many viewers. A character study first and a crime thriller second, the emotional story at the helm will lure you in, and the magnificent lead performance from Sadeghian will ensure you stay invested. It has a strong message at its core, and commendable filmmaking from first-timer Woofter. It may slightly veer off into a generic thriller the further the run-time progresses, but the characters ensure the journey is still worthwhile.
Bound is out now in select US cinemas, also available on digital platforms
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