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Re-watching 1995's ‘Strange Days’ in 2020
Reflecting on Redemption, Accountability and Blackness
Director Kathryn Bigelow’s name and ultimately her legacy will bring to mind that she became the first woman in Oscar history to win the Best Director award in 2010. According to her IMDB webpage, as of 2020 there have only been five women nominated: Lina Wertmüller, Jane Campion, Sofia Coppola and Greta Gerwig. Kathryn Bigelow’s Strange Days, her fifth feature film co-written by her then husband James Cameron is mostly forgotten when compared to her more acclaimed work including the Oscar winning The Hurt Locker (2008) or Zero Dark Thirty (2012). In fact Strange Days was “the movie was a pretty big flop on theatrical release, grossing under $8 million on a $42 million budget” according to film critic Sonny Bunch.
A strong counterargument would place despite flopping in theaters that it is worth watching and dissecting. Kathryn Bigelow’s overlooked thriller, Strange Days, set in a futuristic Los Angeles, explores the psychological theme of duality of character through its use of a futuristic narrative, elliptical storytelling and innovative editing.
As revealed on the film’s IMDB webpage, the tag line of Strange Days is : “New year’s eve 1999. Anything is possible. Nothing is forbidden”. The tagline is certainly a testament to the…
