A vengeful woman has to deal with the loss of her husband, the potential sale of her home, and the man who is currently tied up in her basement, in the short film Bound.
Opening with a shot of Claire (Sheila Dionne) playing cards on a small dining table, Bound soon lives up to its title, as we follow the middle-aged woman as she prepares some questionable food and makes her way downstairs into the basement. This is where we find a man (Garrett Botts), tied up and gagged in a chair. Finding a stream of urine on the floor, the annoyed Claire locates a mop and bucket and starts to clean up after her “guest”.
Whilst watching these initial scenes, one couldn’t help but think of Kathy Bates and James Caan’s terrific performances in Rob Reiner’s 1990 Stephen King adaption, Misery. In fact, I sort of thought the short film may be leading into more familiar territory as the story progressed. Luckily though, director and writer Mark Grabianowski veers in another direction and we are treated to quite a compelling 12-minute film.
It turns out that the man in the basement isn’t an innocent victim and, although we don’t receive all the details, he is responsible for Claire’s husband’s death. He pleads to be taken to the police, knowing that any punishment from the government will obviously be better than being bound and gagged in a dark room by a distraught woman with revenge on her mind.
Soon, Claire’s daughter, Susan (Alicia Blasingame) comes to visit with news for her mother. Both she and her husband have decided to sell the home in which her mother resides, stating that she needs to move on from the untimely death of her dad. Obviously, Claire isn’t happy with the thought of moving out of her own house, but she is also left with a predicament – what will she do with her hostage?
Even from the opening shots of Bound, it was easy to see how well shot the short film is. The cinematographer Dana Shihadah does exceptionally well in lighting the short so it looks moody and professional throughout. Such work increases the production value tenfold and, even though the budget for Bound was likely minute, the camera work makes the short loo like some serious cash was spent. The sound design was en-point too, as was Nicholas Repetto’s score.
Bound is a well-made short thriller/drama that asks some serious questions to the viewer. What would you do if you were in Claire’s position? Mark Grabianowski has crafted a stellar short film, aided by some talented cast and crew members.
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