Strange Days (1995): Cyberpunk at Its Finest

November 21, 2024

By Dillon Hamann

| Musings of a Space Cowboy |

With the cold wind starting to bite harder and the falling leaves turning to mush, the outdoors finally seems to be pushing us inside before winter begins. It's finally time to plan those cozy binge-watches of our favorite shows and movies. Last Sunday, some friends came to my apartment for some chopped cheese sliders and, of course, to have a movie night. It was finally time to show everyone my favorite film: Strange Days.

Directed by Kathryn Bigelow, written by James Cameron, and starring Ralph Fiennes, Angela Bassett, & Juliet Lewis, this B-movie Cyber-Noir is stacked full of Hollywood legends. If anything, it exceeds any expectations you might have for a forgotten sci-fi from the 90s. It's an collage of so many genre movies of its time that it's impressive that its visual experience is so cohesive; its Y2K retro-futuristic dystopian setting shows LA the darkest I've ever seen on film. I like to think the Cyberpunk 2077 video game/show shares a universe with this film.

Without spoiling too much, the plot revolves around this new technology that allows people to record and watch others' experiences. Someone straps a headpiece to their head and records what's happening in their brain, which is then recreated for anyone who gets their hands on a disk of that recording. In short, you can experience anything you could ever imagine. You not only see and hear but feel these experiences as if you were living them. These tapes are still high-end black market stuff, but what better metaphor for high-class drugs than technology that will let you live out your wildest fantasies? I can go on about how getting your drugs in a mini-CD can be recontextualized to today's widespread social media and entertainment addiction, but you get the gist. This is a theme that only scratches the surface of what this film has to say.

Our protagonist, Lenny (Fiennes), is an ex-cop turned disk hustler and user who stumbles upon a conspiracy that could sweep not only LA's underbelly upside but the whole nation after watching an insanely brutal snuff clip. Aside from a somewhat corny plot, everything that fills the frames between those moments is some of the most subversive, radical, moral testing of an audience - in classic noir fashion - that still retains its blockbuster energies. Not only does the film revel in revolutionary idealism, but it also tests your understanding of what love can be. There's police executions, love triangles, betrayal, horrifying (in the way a car crash is) first-person view one-takes, and punk rock angst driving this movie until the very end. Strange Days pushes the limit to uncover those flashy layers that hide our endless human failings of a system that worships money and status, and it does so tastefully. Bigelow couldn't have been more of a prophet with this gem.

A particular aspect of the human condition is exposed in almost any film, albeit most merely showcase an empty shell of these experiences that look pretty and make you laugh without thinking too much. With Strange Days, something special was uncovered. It reminds me of works like The Alchemist or Gene Wolfe's writing; you enter a certain mindset where you can change the world if you stick to your self-ideals and follow your destiny. Fiennes and Bassett both elevate this feeling in their respective roles. The well-designed sets and entrancing cinematography are only topped by an original song performed by the punk rock ex-girlfriend (the one and only Juliet Lewis). It was profound to watch a master like Bigelow weave this chaotically beautiful tapestry of a cyberpunk dystopia. A classic by all means, Strange Days is a brilliant and psychedelic experience.

P.S - This movie is extremely hard to find... so if you want to watch it, shoot me a DM on insta @dillxn333, and I'll help ya out :D

| Musings of a Space Cowboy # 4 |

Image Credits:

Strange Days (1995) dir. Katheryn Bigelow