Neo-noir dystopian science fiction? Sure. But also giallo.

Strange Days was directed by Kathryn Bigelow and written by James Cameron and Jay Cocks. At once 20 minutes into the future and thirty years in the past, it still feels remarkably vital.

Criminals are committing crimes and making SQUID (Superconducting QUantum Interference Device) discs that allow people to relive their murders and assaults. Lenny Nero (Ralph Fiennes) was once an LAPD officer, but now he works the black market, selling these memories. 

Meanwhile, Burton Steckler (Vincent D’Onofrio) and Dwayne Engelman (William Fichtner) track Iris (Brigitte Bako), who is wearing a SQUID helmet. She takes whatever she filmed and hides it in Lenny’s car, all while he pines over her best friend — and his lost love — rock star Faith Justin (Juliette Lewis), who has landed a new man, record industry boss Philo Gant (Michael Wincott).

While his car is being towed, Lenny is drinking away his pain with his only friends, detective Max Peltier (Tom Sizemore) and limousine driver and bodyguard Lornette “Mace” Mason (Angela Bassett). When Lenny is given another disk, it shows him Iris being assaulted and killed. More than that, he lives through it. He goes on the run with Mace, as whatever he has on that disk she left in his car is enough to send Steckler and Engelman after him.

It’s all tied to rapper Jeriko One (Glenn Plummer), who was with Iris when he was pulled over by Steckler and Engelman and shot in the streets, killed over the anti-police lyrics in his songs. Philo has been recording his own people using the SQUID hardware with women. Lenny finds him dead, killed by Max, who has been with Faith. As if that’s not enough stabbing in the back, Max literally knifes Lenny, who removes it just in time to send his former friend hurtling to the pavement. He leaves Faith alone, heading back to Mace, who has been in love with him for a long time.

Mayor Palmer Strickland (Josef Sommer) is given all the info and stops a near-riot just moments before Mace and Lenny share a kiss at midnight. 

Wikipedia refers to this as a techno-thriller, tech-noir, and a futuristic erotic thriller. Or, like I said, giallo with bullshit giallo science. It has a gorgeous femme fatale with Lewis — who sang for real — and a protagonist obsessed with seeing her one more time, even if it’s past sex recorded and lived through, even if that feels empty.