Vague Visages’ Bound review contains minor spoilers. Isaac Hirotsu Woofter’s 2023 movie features Alexandra Faye Sadeghian, Bryant Carroll and Jessica Pimentel. Check out the VV home page for more film reviews, along with cast/character summaries, streaming guides and complete soundtrack song listings.

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Bound, the feature directorial debut from actor Isaac Hirotsu Woofter, spotlights the struggles of fringe society characters but falls apart with its confusing editing and narrative structure. The 101-minute indie drama stars Alexandra Faye Sadeghian as Bella Patterson, a traumatized young woman who tries to protect her mentally unstable mother, Yeva (Pooya Mohseni), from her abusive and drug-dealing step-father, Gordy (Bryant Carroll). When the protagonist leaves home for Manhattan (accompanied by a pet squirrel), she hopes to reinvent herself upon landing a job with a deli owner (Ramin Karimloo as Owais), along with a side-hustle gig for a Dominican bar manager (Jessica Pimentel as Marta). Like so many small-budget flicks, Bound’s choppy first-act editing foreshadows a rough ride.

The first half of Bound introduces a series of racially diverse characters with little to say about the surrounding world. A flamboyant Black character, Standrick (Jaye Alexander), speaks almost entirely in cliches, while a Muslim bodega owner speaks cryptically about a Black friend who shows up briefly before disappearing. So, it’s unclear what Woofter hoped to communicate beyond the A-plot about trauma and a spiritual rebirth. And then Gordy inexplicably shows up in Manhattan as Marta’s business associate and lover. This is a rather wild narrative jump to make, especially with no exposition whatsoever for the viewer. It’s almost like Woofter left a contextual scene on the cutting room floor. Overall, from beginning to end, this is Bound’s obvious flaw: messy scene execution. Plus, the aforementioned Carroll seemingly prepared for his performance by watching Dennis Hopper as Frank Booth in David Lynch’s 1986 classic, Blue Velvet, as Gordy dramatically shifts from menacing snarls to child-like whimpering, and vice versa. It’s quite entertaining but also somewhat ridiculous given the aforementioned twist, one that feels completely unearned.

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Bound’s opening Manhattan scenes — shot by cinematographers Maximilian Lewin and Jake Simpson — look fantastic. Woofter also creates a rowdy rock and roll vibe through a hard-hitting soundtrack and the introduction of various street punks who befriend Bella. Sadeghian also has a strong presence as the protagonist, a street-smart character (with a squirrel on her shoulder) who feels right at home in her new environment. Unfortunately, the clunky storytelling detracts from not only the lead performance, but also Pimental’s portrayal of Marta — an immigrant with a secret to protect. Woofter should be applauded for including diverse characters; however, Bound would’ve been much more effective and clean with a tighter narrative focus and more thoughtful editing. The writer-director wisely implies certain things about his main characters, rather than blatantly guiding the audience, but one could easily miss important yet brief moments because of the quick cuts. Next time around, Woofter will hopefully let the drama play out naturally.

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Bound shares themes with another 2023 travel drama, Sean Price Williams’ The Sweet East — a quirky indie tale featuring a big-name lineup. The big difference, however, is the overall character development. Williams’ film, written by film critic Nick Pinkerton, takes its time exploring the main players’ perspectives. Bound, it seems, places handcuffs on itself during pivotal moments. And so viewers might be left wondering about Woofter’s intentions. Bound can indeed be a movie about many things — trauma, mind power, the immigrant experience — yet the film might not resonate with those hoping for a layered social commentary beyond the surface-level concepts.

Q.V. Hough (@QVHough) is Vague Visages’ founding editor.

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