I have watched this movie twice so far, its at best an average thriller. I see quite a few high ratings for this movie and they usually refer to the fact its made by a female director. I think if it was made by a male director it would have an average rating. This isnt even her best movie, I much prefer Near Dark. The movie itself was written by James Cameron however this is not in the same league as Terminator or Aliens as far as quality or action goes. The story is quite straight forward, its a police corruption movie with the back drop of the turn of the century, with a sci-fi twist. There are a couple of plot twists within the film but nothing that is too surprising. There are a few reasons why I haven't rated this as above average. First off is the running time. It really doesn't justify taking up the best part of 3 hours. The reason? Quite a few scenes are almost like music promo videos of some once popular band from the 90s. So much of the movie seems to take place in a concert venue. There are maybe three different scenes when Juliette Lewis is on stage and this doesn't add to the plot at all. There are just far too many of these scenes. Also the director uses slow motion far too often and inter cuts other scenes with images of the city in chaos for no real reason. When you start to look at your watch throughout the movie and begin to notice all of these things which eat into the time of the movie its quite frustrating. This is basically a decent 90 min movie stretched out to almost twice its length by baggy content screaming to be cut out. As far as the main protagonists, we have a male lead who is supposed to have been a cop and is now part of the criminal underworld. However he is so incompetent during the fight scenes its laughable. How can he possibly have been a cop when hes so soft? Angela Basset is the side kick and if we are to believe this the toughest thing in the movie. We see her beat up groups of men and women well over 6ft tall, all 5 ft 4 inches of her. It doesn't seem believable when you notice the height differences. If people rated the movie as it is instead of inflating the score because of who directed it, because of their gender, which is also a form of prejudice, this would be reflected in the ratings. Its an average movie best watched with your finger on the fast forward button. There are better, shorter movies and you could probably fit two of them in instead of watching this.

Strange Days (1995): Dir: Kathryn Bigelow / Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Angela Bassett, Juliette Lewis, Tom Sizemore, Michael Wincott: Excellent science fiction thriller unleashing a spectacular futuristic Los Angeles. Set in the finals days of 1999 where society is overrun by chaos and murder. Title refers to a device sold by Ralph Fiennes where subjects can witness another life. He is an ex cop who straps this device to his head and relives the memories of a former lover who is now the property of a sleazy nightclub owner. He learns that one of these devices involves the rape and murder of young women. Tense energy and extremely clever plotting created by director Kathryn Bigelow where armored limousines and street gangs run rampant. Humorous performance by Fiennes full of charisma. He is protected by Angela Bassett through frustration, dedication and love. An interesting back story involving her son indicates how she and Fiennes met and came to a mutual love. Juliette Lewis plays the corrupted nightclub singer who does a riveting number when she first appears. Tome Sizemore appears as a contact of Fiennes but the role is a disappointment because he is too obvious and never comes off as trusting. Michael Wincott plays the sadistic individual whom Lewis is involved with. At any rate, this is a visual masterpiece about the dangers of technology. Score: 9 ½ / 10

Director Kathryn Bigelow, a true talent, pulls out all the stops in this stunning retro futuristic tale of paranoia, conspiracy, murder, and corruption set in the final few days before New Year's Eve of 1999, in a frenzied, chaotic, y2k swept Los Angeles.Ralph Fiennes plays Lenny Nero, a lovable ex cop sleaze all who sells 'wire trips' the newest street drug, which consists of plugging in someone else's pre-recorded experiences into your own cerebral cortex, and feeling, seeing, hearing, experiencing it for yourself. Naturally the technology becomes illegal, and much of the recorded content is of the lurid, fetishistic and sometimes downright nasty variety. Tensions arise as an unknown tormentor begins to send Nero vile snuff clips of themselves killing people who know too much about some nefarious deeds being committed on the eve of the new millennium. Saying anymore would spoil the fun, of which there is a tremendous amount of in this film.Fiennes is a scrappy goof as the lover not fighter Nero, and indeed the genre stereotype gets upended, leaving most of the violent heroics to his longtime friend and driver Mace, played with touching reserve and sexy tenacity by the excellent Angela Bassett, who carries the film by default, being pretty much the only well balanced, this side of sane character. Tom Sizemore is also a lovable goof as Lenny's ex cop buddy, the sultry Juliette Lewis is spellbinding (she does all her own singing) as Lenny's ex. The underrated Michael Wincott also shows up, as well as Vincent Donofrio and William Fichtner as two of the scariest, maniacal villains the film could ask for.I haven't the slightest idea why this film ever slipped through the cracks and wasn't more profilic upon release, it's is dazzling, flashy, intelligent and well ahead of its time. That news years party scene is a wonder to behold in blü ray and a huge highlight, creating a thundering climax that will rock your senses. Highly recommended.

I am usually not a big fan of millennium movies, or Sci-Fi movies in general. I was required to watch this movie for a class, so, to be honest, I was not looking forward to the assignment. However, I was greatly surprised when I found myself enjoying the film! "Strange Days" has a complex, interesting plot that definitely differs from a lot of other films I have seen. Although the storyline was confusing at first, I was able to follow along easier by the middle of the movie. If you're into movies that make you think, this is definitely one that should be on the list. "Strange Days" included a lot of exciting themes and nuances that left me thinking long after the movie finished. The ending was also definitely a surprise, so that was entertaining!