I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)

That was an excellent one.

Sorry, this movie sucks

Just perfect...

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

I'm not sure this film achieved all it could have, simply from changing the names - I mean "Barry" & "Helen". Come on. However, JLH's ... ummmm....talents, by themselves, make it a solid "6". I give it one more point for being filmed in the great state of NC, where I reside on the film board!

"I Know What You Did Last Summer". It sounds like one of the corniest threats ever or one of the worst ways to make conversation, doesn't it folks? But that's the name of the Kevin Williamson written 1997 teen slasher pick starring youthful actors Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, and Freddie Prince Jr. The plot of the film has already been mentioned by many on this site, so I won't spend too much time on it here, except to say four teens living in small fishing hamlet decide to celebrate their high school graduation by (what else?) getting drunk and making out on the beach and on their way back, accidentally hit a man along the road and seemingly kill him. Rather than do the right thing and report the accident to the cops, the four decide to cover it up by dumping the man in the ocean and making a pact to never talk about it ever again, which would be fine, perhaps, if one year later someone wasn't sending out letters with the film's title on it! Who is stalking the teens? Is it someone who saw them dump the body or is it possible the person they hit wasn't really dead? Made one year after Williamson's other written (and quite spectacularly, I might add) "Scream", it's a movie that tried to capitalize on the spirit of that clever, self-parodying thriller, and while I can't say it fully succeeded, there's something about "I Know What You Did Last Summer" that I can't help but fall in love with. Perhaps this is one of those cases where the time period a film was made in overcompensates whatever flaws the story has - such as various plot holes, the fact that some of the characters are not particularly likable (Ryan Phillippe's rich kid quarterback character comes to mind), or the fact that the killer, when revealed, doesn't have quite the same impact Ghostface or Michael Myers had. Indeed, hearing the 90's soundtrack blaring over the film's scenes instantly makes me think of the better, more carefree days of when I was a kid, when the only thing you had to worry about was what new blockbuster was coming out and who the President of the United States was sleeping with! Or maybe it's because of the fact that the four leads have such great chemistry together I just can't help but stay put and watch. Whatever, the reason, "I know What You Did Last Summer" is one of those slightly cheesy films that will appeal to a certain audience, and even for those it doesn't, at the very least they'll have delicious eye candy in the form of Hewitt or Gellar, or if you're a woman, Phillippe and Prince. Regardless of what others might think, for me this is a film that's fun to look back on, if for nothing, a time capsule of better times. Also starring Ann Heche, Bridgette Wilson-Sampras, John Galecki, Muse Watson, and Stuart Greer.

I borrowed I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER from a friend. I had been tempted to actually buy it when I saw it in the shops but I'm so glad I waited now, as it turned out to be one of the most boring hour-and-a-half's that I have ever sat through. Maybe the film wasn't bad in terms of production, but it's certainly a below average slasher film, lacking none of the extravagance or finesse of the '80s slashers (hardly any blood is shed, the murders are all quick and cut away from the gore). The film could easily have been cut down half an hour, which would not have harmed it - in fact it might have been better.The cast is full of American teenagers, a typical staple of the slasher film, but none of the actors and actresses are up to scratch. Jennifer Love Hewitt is more adept at showing her cleavage than emoting, while Sarah Michelle Gellar (star of BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER) is an annoyingly whiny character. Ryan Phillipe is okay as the drunkard Billy, while the character of Ray remains largely undeveloped (and it's difficult to fathom his sudden role as an action hero at the finale). Anne Heche also turns up, in a thankfully small role.The murderer is a generic villain, and not in the least bit scary. Candyman used a hook for murders years before this, so where's the originality? There is none. The music is good in the stalking sequences but too full of hip pop songs (sadly commonplace these days). A lot of the film is pretty by-the-numbers stuff, which looks nice but lacks substance. The chase scenes are the only worthwhile parts of the film, and even these aren't too exciting. I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER is an example of the modern horror film, clichéd, derivative, and unfortunately not very exciting at all. A botched attempt, which proved that Kevin Williamson really was a one shot wonder.

In honor of Independence Day, I decided to re-watch this and the sequel. It had been quite a few years since I've seen it. I grew up with these movies and I forgot how great they were. Creepy atmosphere, decent suspense, nice music and a very menacing killer. The Fisherman is underrated and needs more attention in the horror world. He's up there with Michael and Jason. He's not some unkillable monster, he's a human in a rain slicker wielding a hook. It's creepy that we don't really see his face or know his motivation til the end of the film. There's one scene that's very reminiscent of Halloween, which is my all-time favorite movie.Julie James, Ray Bronson, Helen Shivers and Barry Cox are all on their way home at night from partying on the 4th of July. They accidentally hit someone and throw his body in the river. One year later, each of the teens receive a letter that says 'I know what you did last summer' They are all stalked and hunted by the Fisherman til he gets revenge. If you love slashers from the 90's, you'll love I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER!!!