Bound by Hatred: Cast, Episodes & Where to Watch

What is Bound by Hatred about?

Bound by Hatred brings the third book of Cora Reilly's Born in Blood Mafia Chronicles to ReelShort, and it shifts the spotlight to a heroine who wants no part of the life she was born into. Gianna Scuderi is the younger sister of Aria, and both grew up under the rule of their father, Rocco, a man who treats his daughters as assets in the mafia's game of alliances. Gianna has watched her sister be handed over in marriage to Luca Vitiello, the heir to the New York Famiglia, and she has never forgiven the system that made it happen.

Unlike Aria, Gianna does not bend. She is outspoken, rebellious and unafraid to say exactly what she thinks of the men who run her world, even when it would be smarter to stay quiet. What she wants more than anything is freedom: a life where nobody chooses her husband, her future or her words for her.

That freedom is exactly what she is about to lose. Matteo Vitiello, Luca's younger brother, has noticed her, and he is not the kind of man who lets go of what he wants. He is charming, cocky and lethally good with a blade, a killer with a smile who has never been told no by a woman in the way Gianna tells him no. Her defiance does not scare him off. It fascinates him.

When her father agrees to an arrangement that binds Gianna to Matteo, she is trapped between two powerful families and a man who seems determined to win her over. The first act is a battle of wills: Gianna fighting the engagement with every weapon she has, and Matteo treating each rejection as a challenge rather than an answer. Their exchanges crackle with hostility, and the title is not an exaggeration.

Around them, the series fills in the dangerous world of the Famiglia, including Luca and Aria's own complicated marriage. It is a long, 111-episode adaptation with a large live-action cast, made in English for a US audience, and it is built for fans who like their mafia romance possessive, combative and slow to thaw.

Bound by Hatred cast

Main characters

Gianna Scuderi

Aria's younger sister and the fiercest voice in the Scuderi household. She hates the arranged-marriage traditions of her world and wants a life of her own choosing. Christine Schlehuber plays her with sharp edges and stubborn fire.

Matteo Vitiello

Luca's younger brother, charming on the surface and deadly with a knife. He becomes fixated on Gianna precisely because she refuses to fall for him. Nate Flores takes the male lead role.

Luca Vitiello

The heir to the New York Famiglia and Matteo's older brother, played by Rhett Wellington. Already married to Aria, he is the steady, intimidating presence behind Matteo's moves.

Aria

Gianna's older sister, married to Luca in an arranged match. Savannah Coffee plays her. Gianna's protectiveness toward Aria fuels much of her anger at the mafia world.

Rocco Scuderi

The sisters' father, a man who treats marriage as a political tool and his daughters as bargaining chips. His decisions set Gianna's story in motion.

Why people are watching Bound by Hatred

If you have read Cora Reilly's books, this is a chance to see Gianna and Matteo's famously combative romance play out on screen. If you have not, the series works as a standalone: the arranged-marriage setup is explained quickly, and the conflict between a woman who wants freedom and a man who wants her is easy to jump into.

Gianna is the reason to watch. Many mafia heroines are frightened, sheltered or quietly obedient at the start. Gianna is none of those things. She talks back to dangerous men in public, picks fights she probably cannot win and refuses to pretend she is happy. That makes the battle of wills with Matteo far more entertaining than a standard captive-bride story.

This is also a full live-action production with a big cast. IMDb lists dozens of credited performers, from the leads down to wedding guests and restaurant patrons, and the result looks closer to a TV series than a bare-bones short. ReelShort has adapted several books in the same universe, so the world feels lived in.

The chemistry between the leads carries a lot of weight. Matteo is written as playful and menacing at the same time, and Gianna answers every move with an insult, so their scenes swing between comedy and danger. Fans of the Bound series on ReelShort will also recognize Rhett Wellington's Luca, which gives the adaptation a sense of continuity with the earlier releases.

Be aware of the length and the content. At 111 episodes, it is one of the longer ReelShort titles, so plan for several sittings. ReelShort's tags include sexual assault, and the story contains possessive behavior, violence and dark mafia themes. It is clearly aimed at adults who know what this subgenre delivers.

Tropes and themes

The mafia trope sets the rules of this world. Families form alliances through marriage, loyalty is enforced with violence, and daughters rarely get a say. The drama comes from characters who push against those rules.

Forbidden romance here means a relationship the heroine refuses to want. The arranged match is legal and approved by both families. What is off-limits is Gianna's own heart, which she has sworn never to give to a man from that world.

Enemies to lovers is the emotional backbone. Gianna and Matteo begin as open adversaries, and every scene they share is a duel. Readers of the book know this pairing for its banter and its hostility, which the series leans into.

Family drama runs through the Scuderi and Vitiello households, from Rocco's control over his daughters to the bond between the Vitiello brothers. Gianna's anger is rooted in what she has watched happen to her sister.

The strong female lead is Gianna herself, a heroine whose strength is defiance. She does not wait to be rescued, and she rarely does what anyone expects.

How to watch Bound by Hatred legally

Bound by Hatred streams officially on ReelShort, in the app for iPhone and Android and on the web at reelshort.com, where the title page lists all 111 episodes. ReelShort has several titles in the same Cora Reilly universe with similar names, including Bound by Honor, Bound by Duty and Bound by Love, so make sure you pick Bound by Hatred if you want Gianna and Matteo's story.

The first episodes are free. The ReelShort page places the paywall around episode 12, after which you unlock episodes with coins. Coins can be purchased or earned through daily check-ins, ads and in-app tasks. Given the 111-episode length, a ReelShort subscription that unlocks the catalog for a set period is often the more economical choice. Check current prices in the app, since promotions change frequently.

Full-movie uploads of Bound by Hatred on YouTube, Dailymotion or Facebook are unauthorized copies. They are often incomplete, cropped or filled with spam links, and they do not support the cast and crew. ReelShort's official channels and fandom pages offer legitimate trailers and clips.

Content note: the series includes violence, possessive behavior and sexual-assault themes. Watch in portrait mode on your phone, and use the app's library feature to keep track of your place across a series this long.

Start Bound by Hatred on ReelShort

Bound by Hatred FAQ

Where Bound by Hatred ranks on our lists

• No. 8 in Best Mafia Romance Short Dramas

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