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Co-written byJames Cameronanddirected by Kathryn Bigelow, the 1995 sci-fi thrillerStrange Dayshas a lot in common with the open-world gameCyberpunk 2077. After finding outhelpfulCyberpunk 2077pro tips, fans can watchStrange Daysand get lost in an unsettling story about a unique, life-changing technological device.
While Cameron is, of course, known for hisAvatarfranchise,Strange Daysis a movie that many might have overlooked. The story is definitely memorable, and when compared toCyberpunk 2077, it becomes even more compelling.
What Is Strange Days About?
Strange Daysis aboutLenny Nero(Ralph Finnes) who used to be a police officer with the LAPD and now sells devices calledSQUIDs(Super-conducting Quantum Interference Device) on the black market. He and the other characters live in Los Angeles, California in 1999, but it’s a world that is violent, dark, and dangerous. There is a lot of civil disobedience and it’s an unnerving place.
What Are James Cameron’s Most Famous Movies?
Lenny thinks that he has found the secret to wealth and happiness with his SQUID device, which records someone’s thoughts and experiences. When someone gets this device, they can learn how the person from the recording was thinking and feeling. Lenny and his limo driver and friendMace(Angela Bassett) see a recording ofIris(Brigitte Bako) being killed and, later, learn that Iris was there when Jeriko One (Glenn Plummett) was murdered. They are determined to find out what happened to Iris.
Although it’s not as memorable asRose and Jack’sTitaniclove story,Strange Daysdoes have a romantic subplot as well. While Lenny is still in love with Faith Justin (Juliette Lewis) and watches SQUID recordings so he can remember the good times that they shared, Mace has feelings for him.
James Cameron, Jay Cocks
Cast Members
Ralph Finnes, Angela Bassett, Juliette Lewis, Michael Wincott, Vincent D’Onofrio, Tom Sizemore
145 minutes
68%
How Is Strange Days like Cyberpunk 2077?
Cyberpunk 2077is anopen-world game where players can enter the buildings, andCyberpunk 2077also has several fashion mods. It also has a lot in common withStrange Days.
Strange Daysis likeCyberpunk 2077because both have aCaliforniasetting and are abouttechnologythat can be used for evil.Strange Daysis set in Los Angeles andCyberpunk 2077is set inNight City. InStrange Days, people buy the SQUID device on the black market, and inCyberpunk 2077, themain character V(Cherami Leigh and Gavin Drea), who is a mercenary, has abio-chip.
about a SQUID device
about a bio-chip
Iris sees Jeriko One’s murder
V sees Saburo Arakaska’s murder
BothStrange DaysandCyberpunk 2077also feature a character seeing a murder. InStrange Days, Iris sees Jeriko One get killed. InCyberpunk 2077, Jackie Welles (Jason Hightower) and V see Yorinobu (Hideo Kimura) kill his own father, Saburo Arasaka (Masane Tsukayama).
It’s interesting to watchStrange Daysafter playingCyberpunk 2077because the two complement each other so well. InCyberpunk 2077, people play as V, who has a bio-chip ofJohnny Silverhand(Keanu Reeves), a terrorist and musician. V’s life is on the line because he can hear Johnny’s thoughts and he needs to be able to regain his own identity. Throughout the game,V can make a number of decisions, which keeps it interesting.
How Does Strange Days End?
Strange Daysends with a shocking final scene. After Lenny sees that Philo Gant (Michael Wincott) has died, he watches a recording and learns that Max Peltier and Faith were romantically involved. After Max (Tom Sizemore) says that he wants people to think that Lenny is the killer, Max and Lenny have a brutal fight. Lenny kills Max by launching him off the balcony of Philo’s apartment. Like therecord-breakingAvatar 2: The Way of Water, the ending ofStrange Daysis definitely memorable.
By now, it is clear that police officers Dwayne Engelman (William Fitchner) and Burton Steckler (Vincent D’Onofrio) are the ones who killed Jeriko One, as they didn’t like his song lyrics criticizing the police. Other police officers kill Steckler, and Engelman takes his life. As the night turns into the next morning and it’s2000, Mace and Lenny kiss as they finally admit their romantic feelings for each other.
WhileStrange Dayshas fast-paced fights and a murder mystery, it also tackles serious subjects such as the relationship between citizens and police and how technology can go wrong. As co-writer Jay Cocks said during a press conference at the1995 New York Film Festival:
“For me, this film is about a city, and about a time that might happen. It’s also a movie about movies, about life at arm’s length, about watching and being watched… I was working with Kathryn on a project calledCompany of Angels; when Jim leftStraight Daysto doTrue Lies, I continued to work on this with Kathryn. I’ll tell you, life is in high gear with those two. We’d act out the characters, back and forth, but they are all Cameron’s creatures.”
