For decades, director Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner has been hailed as the perfect sci-fi action movie. Personally, I think that’s only because not enough people have seen the 1995 masterpiece, Strange Days. Directed by Oscar winner Kathryn Bigelow and co-written by Oscar winner James Cameron, the dystopian action thriller was ahead of its time in many ways. It also features some of today’s biggest names in the acting circuit, including Ralph Fiennes, Angela Bᴀssett, Juliette Lewis, and a then-unknown Vincent D’Onofrio.

Despite their differences, Strange Days and Blade Runner do have a few things in common. Both movies have a futuristic setting with a cyberpunk feel, elements of film noir, and both are centered around a murder mystery. However, where Blade Runner is distinctly a dystopian science fiction movie, Strange Days is much more realistic and relevant. Though critics may have bashed the movie at the time, a look back at Strange Days 30 years later proves that it is far superior to Blade Runner.

Strange Days Is A Vastly Underrated Sci-Fi Movie

Its Cast, Style & Hopeful Ending Are High Points

It is December 30, 1999, and the world is on the cusp of a new millennium. The streets of Los Angeles are flooded with militant police who are trying to maintain order in an unprecedented wave of crime and chaos. Meanwhile, an ex-cop turned sleaze peddler, Lenny (Ralph Fiennes), is trying to make a buck selling the H๏τtest tech — an illegal device called SQUID (Superconducting Quantum Interference Device), which “jacks in” virtual reality straight to your brain. Lenny’s life is upended when he receives an anonymous SQUID tape that shows the brutal rape and murder of a friend, Iris.

With so many cyberpunk movies released in the mid-to-late 1990s, it’s not surprising that Strange Days got lost in the mix. Still, much of the movie being overlooked comes from unfairly negative reviews. Critics accused Strange Days of being all style and no substance, and called the ending unrealistic. True, it’s flashy and fast and loud, but that’s all meant to draw the viewer in. The ending offers hope for the future amidst a bleak outlook of violence and bigotry, presenting the idea that there are still good people in the world. That’s hardly an “unrealistic” point of view.

The performances from the cast are also on point. Fiennes gives an earnest and honest portrayal of Lenny, whose soft heart far outweighs his sleazeball persona. Angela Bᴀssett is a total badᴀss as Mace, Lenny’s best friend who sticks by him despite the dangers involved, and saves his rear more than once. Vincent D’Onofrio also demonstrates early in his career the depths of his talent as the corrupt cop, Steckler.

Why Strange Days Is Superior To Blade Runner

Strange Days Better Uses The Sci-Fi Genre To Question Real Human Issues

For context, as we compare the two sci-fi films, I’ll be referencing the 1982 theatrical version of Blade Runner, rather than the Director’s Cut or Final Cut. Starting with the time period, Blade Runner was set in 2019, which was 37 years into the future at that time. In only a single generation, the movie shows a future in which Los Angeles has flying cars and synthetic life. While technology is capable of many things in a short period of time, it’s a bit unrealistic to expect that much progress.

As for Strange Days, the “future” world of 1999 is much more grounded. Rather than setting the events in the far, unfathomable future, Strange Days is set during the looming uncertainty of the year 2000 — only five years away from the date of the movie’s initial release. The tech being shown — not to mention the state of the world — is not too far off from today’s reality. True, virtual reality is probably a long way off from being inserted straight into the cerebral cortex, but it’s far more likely than the breakthrough of synthetic life.

Another way that Strange Days beats out Blade Runner is in the relevance of its message. The theme of Blade Runner is a look at what makes us all human, and asks if synthetic life is worth the same as human life. It’s certainly a compelling thought, but it is based purely on hypotheticals. Meanwhile, Strange Days challenges viewers to face the dark side of humanity, holding up a mirror to current issues such as racism, facism, and police brutality. The parallels between the period piece and modern events are, frankly, disturbing.

How Strange Days Became A Cult Classic

It’s Been Reevaluated By Modern Audiences

While it was sadly misjudged at the time of its release, Strange Days has garnered a decent following in recent years. Maybe it’s the cast, the creators, or the plot relevance, but whatever the appeal, more and more audiences are discovering the movie for the first time. 30 years after being critically panned, reviewers are now retrospectively praising the movie’s themes, style, and performances. Recent reviews on Rotten Tomatoes have called Strange Days a “profound sensory experience,” “thrilling and thought-provoking,” and “explosive entertainment.” The movie currently has a 69% score on the Tomatometer, and 73% on the Popcornmeter.

There are numerous fans who hail the film as a cult classic. Reddit user ggroover97’s discussion post from 2023 reads: “Strange Days is awesome. It’s a shame it didn’t get the love it needed when it came out.” In another Reddit discussion from 2024, OkSmile1782 wrote: “Awesome movie. Soundtrack is fantastic.” Others have even speculated that Strange Days may have been the inspiration behind the “Brain Dance” VR technology in the Cyberpunk 2077 video game, as the two are very similar.

What Katheryn Bigelow Has Said About Strange Days

She Wanted “To Hold A Mirror To Society”

Director Katheryn Bigelow has become known for her visceral style of filmmaking, and Strange Days is no different. Movies like Near Dark, Zero Dark Thirty, and The Hurt Locker have proved that she isn’t afraid to make a statement while presenting realistic and disturbing images of the world.

One huge aspect of Strange Days that can’t be denied is the theme of racism. As motivation for the political themes in Strange Days, Bigelow cited the 1992 L.A. riots following the murder of Rodney King by police. “It was important to me to hold a mirror to society,” Bigelow told Christian Science Monitor in 1995. She went on to describe the movie as “a canvas, a landscape that speaks about issues which should never be forgotten.” Bigelow also related in another interview that same year (via Cinephilia Beyond):

“The politics was very important: the landscape of a society, a flashpoint society maybe on the brink of civil war, the tensions that were permeating every crevice. It’s not an incredible stretch of the imagination.”

Bigelow was certainly right about that, as political tensions have only continued to rise in recent years, making Strange Days more relevant than ever. The director also addressed one of the most disturbing moments in the film: a first-person perspective of a woman’s rape and murder. “I know it’s disturbing. I know it’s provocative. But it’s about something. And that, in and of itself, is a step in the right direction.” (via CSM)

Personally, I have to fast-forward every time I get to that scene. But I agree with Bigelow’s statement about the importance of presenting violence on screen in a manner that is meant to unsettle rather than entertain.

Strange Days Not Being Available To Stream Is A Travesty

Complicated Distribution Rights May Be The Reason

Even in the days of most movies being readily available to stream, Strange Days is sadly absent from streaming libraries. The film did appear on the HBO Max streaming site (before the name was changed to Max) briefly in 2020, but has since been removed. There could be multiple reasons for this, but it’s ultimately a mystery.

There is one possible explanation as to why Strange Days isn’t streaming anywhere. In 1995, Strange Days was distributed by 20th Century Fox and Lightstorm Entertainment, the latter of which was created by James Cameron and producer Lawrence Kasanoff. Naturally, the disintegration of Fox due to Disney’s buying out of the studio in 2019 left Strange Days without a place to call home. However, with the film’s connection to Lightstorm, it’s possible that Cameron’s studio currently holds the distribution rights.

For those who still hung on to their DVD and BluRay players, Strange Days is available for sale in analog format on sites like Amazon. However, the lack of a streaming hub for the movie means that many audiences are restricted from viewing it, which is a true shame. Hopefully, whoever owns the distribution rights to the film will see fit to share it with the world in the near future.