Move Over, Matrix. This Is the Ultimate '90s Cyberpunk Movie - CNET

Our gifting experts are obsessively searching for holiday gifts that are unique, thoughtful and suitable for any budget. Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Kathryn Bigelow's hauntingly realistic VR dystopia doubles as a Y2K time capsule. Lenny Nero (Ralph Fiennes) and Lornette “Mace” Mason (Angela Bassett) in Strange Days. Fans of the cyberpunk genre have much to look forward to, with Blade Runner 2099 and Apple TV’s Neuromancer adaptation on the way. But if you’re hungry for a great “high tech, low life” film right now, you might consider looking to the not-so-distant past. Strange Days flew under my radar for years, but now it’s one of my favorite science-fiction movies. Though it was released back in 1995, Strange Days looks and feels like it could’ve come out yesterday. It’s one of those rare old movies that imagined the technology of virtual reality without turning it into a gimmick. Strange Days takes place in 1999 Los Angeles during the last 48 hours of the millennium. Lenny Nero, played by Ralph Fiennes, is a former cop who now peddles an ill