3 Underrated Movies Written by James Cameron You Probably Haven’t Even Heard Of
- James Cameron’s early work is full of surprises and hidden gems.
- These films show his range before he became a blockbuster king.
- You’ll definitely want to dive deeper into his lesser-known projects.
When you think of James Cameron, you probably picture epic films like Avatar, Titanic, or The Terminator. It’s no surprise—these are the movies that made him a household name. He’s known for making massive blockbusters that changed the way movies are made, with groundbreaking special effects and unforgettable stories.
But here’s the thing: Cameron didn’t just make big movies. He also wrote some surprising scripts that didn’t get as much attention but were just as interesting. Some of these films may even surprise you because they’re not the ones you typically associate with him.
So let’s step away from the mega-franchises for a second and look at four lesser-known films that Cameron had a hand in. You probably didn’t even know he wrote these. But they all carry that unique Cameron style you might recognize if you know what to look for. Ready to discover some hidden gems? Here we go.
1. Strange Days (1995)
Strange Days is the kind of movie that makes you look back and realize James Cameron was ahead of his time. The film is set in a futuristic world where people can live other people’s experiences by watching their memories through high-tech virtual reality systems.
People get addicted to this technology, living out the thrills and horrors of others’ lives. Sound familiar? Today, virtual reality and immersive tech are part of our everyday conversations, but in the 90s, this concept was pure sci-fi.
While Cameron came up with the idea and wrote the first version of the script, he didn’t actually write the final screenplay. Instead, he handed it over to another writer, Jay Cocks, to finish it.
Kathryn Bigelow, who was Cameron’s wife at the time, directed the film, and even though they were divorced by the time it was made, Cameron stayed involved as a producer.
The movie didn’t do too well at the box office, but its themes about technology’s effects on society still feel pretty relevant today. It’s a cool, slightly uneven film, but you can see Cameron’s fingerprints all over it in the way it deals with big ideas about tech and society.
Write Strange Days on Amazon Prime Video!
2 . Piranha II: The Spawning (1981)
Piranha II: The Spawning is the movie that James Cameron directed before he really became famous. But it has an interesting backstory. Cameron was brought on to direct this B-movie about genetically modified flying piranhas, but things quickly went sideways.
He was fired after only a few days of filming, and the producers changed the script around so much that the final product doesn’t resemble his vision at all.
Despite the chaos, Cameron told Morley Safer during a 60 Minutes interview in 2010 (per Screen Rant) that it was “the best flying piranha film ever made.” Although the movie’s a mess, you can spot bits of Cameron’s future style, especially in the way he designed the piranhas themselves.
This film was a big learning experience for him, and despite the bad outcome, it served as his first real shot at directing. If you’re a fan of cheesy 80s horror, Piranha II has some unintentional charm.
Watch Piranha II: The Spawning on Amazon Prime Video!
3. Xenogenesis (1978)
Before Cameron became the director of massive blockbusters, he was making short films on a shoestring budget with his friends. One of his early projects was Xenogenesis, a 1978 sci-fi short film that gives you a taste of the ideas and themes the director would later explore in movies like Aliens and The Terminator.
The film is about two humans on a spaceship trying to find a new place for humanity to survive after the earth faces a disaster. They discover a dead alien race and come across a giant robotic cleaner that tries to stop them.
While Xenogenesis is rough around the edges (it was made with no budget), it shows a lot of the same creative sparks that would later lead to some of Cameron’s most famous work. The themes of space exploration, human survival, and machines with artificial intelligence are all things Cameron would revisit in much bigger, more polished films later on.
It’s a fun little movie to watch if you’re interested in seeing where Cameron started. His career is filled with blockbuster hits, but some of his lesser-known projects are just as fascinating.
Xenogenesis is available to watch on YouTube!
