I want to believe that any teenager who lived through the 1990s would never complain about the story or characters in I Know What You Did Last Summer. One of the more memorable horror movies to come out of the decade featured a whos who of popular actors and actresses who would eventually go on to be known for big things, yet will forever be associated with the fisherman killings.
Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, and Freddie Prinze, Jr have one wild Fourth of July party in 1996. Their joyous adventure to the beach results in one of the most famous car accidents in horror history. The night’s events destroy their relationships and friendships, although distance after high school also plays a significant role.
Things go from bad to worse when the man they thought they killed is back and is out for revenge. He spends a great deal of time stalking and creeping everyone out until he begins to eliminate them one by one.
The story is pretty simple to follow and is only appealing because of the main cast people. Their attractiveness makes them appear like they have no brains, but it is pretty clear to us that as the killer gets closer and closer, their failed attempts to stop him only cause more divide amongst the “friends.”
Last Summer will always be associated with Scream since it became part of the new horror genre that the latter helped launch a year prior. It revived horror and slasher flicks with a young hip cast that people could relate to at that time. And exactly like Scream, Last Summer has gone on to be spoofed a dozen times over, which totally ruins a good slasher flick for those who didn’t get to experience it over two decades ago.
Sadly like a majority of films, the original is always tough to top. That is the case with this franchise. Last Summer is a memorable film for a variety of reasons. The killer may be lame, and the whole “everyone is a suspect” angle may have already been overused at that point, but the suspense is there from start to finish. The killer may not be who you think it is. 7/10
Ten Stars or Less 