Matthew Lambert/ Winonan

It’s time to conclude the year and the month of Kathryn Bigelow, with her 1995 dystopian, sci-fi noir “Strange Days.” This film follows disgraced homicide detective Lenny Nero (Ralph Fiennes), who, after losing his job for the Los Angeles Police Department, sells virtual reality simulators, Playbacks, to people. These Playbacks are simulated memories from other people that Nero’s customers can enjoy. Nero usually sells Playbacks that are porn related, but receives a mysterious Playback from an unnamed source.

After watching the Playback, he witnesses a murder that gets him caught up in a police conspiracy as the clock is ticking on New Year’s Eve in 1999. Co-starring with Fiennes is the tough bodyguard-esque limo driver Mace (Angela Bassett), the one-that-got-away love interest, club singer Faith (Juliette Lewis), and classless former LAPD colleague of Nero, Max (Tom Sizemore), which help investigate the brutal murder.

Since Bigelow is known for employing tough, independent women in her films, “Strange Days” is another great example of her work. While Nero is the protagonist of the film, I can’t help but feel like Mace carries this movie.

Mace makes the movie enjoyable with her tough attitude and her constant regard for her son, and also by making sure Nero doesn’t get beaten to a pulp. No other actress could have played her better, and her presence on screen is complex. I felt myself sympathizing for a woman who is just trying to do right by her son. While Fiennes gives us another terrific performance, this movie is really about Bassett. Hats off to Bigelow for her casting of Bassett.

Other than the outstanding performance of Bassett, this film capitalizes on a lot of terrific noir tropes, with a healthy mix of action and drama. This film reminds me a lot of movies like Blade Runner and Looper, which focus on the gritty urban environment of a city that is filled with corruption, in a future that is uncertain. It also highly benefits from one of the masters of Sci-Fi in James Cameron. Since this film was released in 1995 and set in 1999, Bigelow takes a big leap to make this movie four years removed, whereas most movies are decades later into the future.

This film is realistic in the sense of uncertainty as the year 2000 was coming: creating mass panic about the end of the world with an opening radio clip where callers are claiming the government will suffer and the end of days is near.

For me, this film is highly underrated. It’s one of Bigelow’s first films, to her credit, and is long before her Oscar success with “The Hurt Locker” and “Zero Dark Thirty”. Take a leap of faith if you’re in the dark Sci-Fi mood. Bassett makes this movie one to watch with her incredible performance, while her co-star Fiennes is no slouch, mirroring a Rick Deckard kind of vibe. Watch “Strange Days,” it’s a can’t-miss kind of film.