Bound by Honor
Seen it?1993 | 190 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Sunday Safe BetWhy it’s a Sunday Safe Bet
Audiences adore it (8.2 out of 10) and it's still drawing plenty of interest, though it had middling reviews (64% on Rotten Tomatoes). A safe bet when you want something reliable.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for crime-drama fans and anyone who likes to be kept guessing. If you loved Menace II Society or American Me, start here. Audiences love it more than critics do: a crowd-pleaser first.
- The mood
- Tense, dark and gritty.
- The pace
- Unhurried and epic, at 3 hr 10 min.
- What might put you off
- Rated R: expect violence and drug use.
- It's long: 3 hr 10 min.
- Critics were cooler on it than audiences.
Based on the true life experiences of poet Jimmy Santiago Baca, the film focuses on half-brothers Paco and Cruz, and their bi-racial cousin Miklo. It opens in 1972, as the three are members of an East L.A. gang known as the "Vatos Locos", and the story focuses on how a violent crime and the influence of narcotics alter their lives. Miklo is incarcerated and sent to San Quentin, where he makes a "home" for himself. Cruz becomes an exceptional artist, but a heroin addiction overcomes him with tragic results. Paco becomes a cop and an enemy to his "carnal", Miklo.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsBelow par
64% on Rotten Tomatoes, 47 on Metacritic
- AudiencesVery strong
8.2 out of 10
- AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
- Box office & staying powerSolid
$40 million worldwide on a $35 million budget; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactStrong
About 295K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Taylor Hackford
- Damian ChapaMiklo
- Jesse BorregoCruz
- Benjamin BrattPaco
- Enrique CastilloMontana
- Victor RiversMagic Mike
- Delroy LindoBonafide
- Tom TowlesRed Ryder
- Carlos CarrascoPopeye
- Teddy WilsonWallace
- Raymond CruzChuey