Haunt-tober 2024 is here and it’s time to dive into the macabre, the strange, and the frightful during this beloved time! Join me as I spend the month discussing new and classic films.
When I think about the 90s and horror, especially during a specific trend of slasher films: I can’t help but remember the 1997 Jim Gillespie film: I Know What You Did Last Summer. We all know it, but just how good was it?
Compared to films like Scream, it’s hard for it to hold a candle. But, I have a soft spot for the film that I have wholly accepted as inferior but fun. Nostalgia nurtured this and such recognized the snapshot which is this time period for me.
It’s been a year since friends Julie (Jennifer Love Hewitt), Ray (Freddie Prinze Jr.), Helen (Sarah Michelle Gellar), and Barry (Ryan Phillippe) collectively hid a horrible secret: they accidentally killed a man and dumped his body in the water. When they start receiving threats and ominous notes they wonder, what if he didn’t really die?
Screenwriters Lois Duncan and Kevin Williamson stitch together a story made of parts of previous films in the genre, and Gillespie fills it with a young and memorable cast.
While I Know What You Did Last Summer may generate a lot of uncertainty among the horror fans, especially in comparison to titles of its ilk: there’s got plenty to appreciate. There’s an endless foray of mishap and scream-queen worthy moments even if some of the decisions make you want to tear your hair out.
Isn’t that a common outcome of slasher films?
It may not have the savvy, but it has the guts, even if they are a bit scattered. It’s a time capsule in many ways, and I don’t think it deserves full on hatred. As so many horrors, it paves the way.
In the wake of Scream’s success, the late ’90s saw an influx of slasher films hoping to capitalize on its self-aware, meta-horror approach. Among them, I Know What You Did Last Summer stands out as both a product of its time and a film that struggles to transcend the formulaic conventions of the genre.
It follows in the footsteps of Scream, but lacks much of the same sharp wit and subversive spirit. While Scream deconstructed the conventions of the genre with playful irony, I Know What You Did Last Summer opts for a more straightforward, if somewhat lackluster, approach. The dialogue lacks the cleverness of its predecessor, and the characters are little more than archetypes.
That said, I Know What You Did Last Summer is still enjoyable, even if it’s on a more superficial level. The film’s pacing is effective, building tension steadily as the characters start to unravel, and the central mystery—who is stalking them, and why—keeps things engaging enough to sustain interest. There’s a palpable sense of dread as the body count starts to rise, and the film manages to deliver some genuinely tense moments, especially in the third act.
The film does better than most of its slasher contemporaries is create an atmosphere of looming fear and a sense of consequence. The twist is somewhat predictable, and while it serves to wrap up the film’s central mystery, it lacks the satisfying, clever payoff that the genre often demands.
Ultimately, I Know What You Did Last Summer is a film that’s both of its time and somewhat stuck in it. It capitalizes on the success of Scream without offering much in the way of originality, and while it does manage to entertain, it’s unlikely to leave a lasting impact beyond its place in late-90s slasher nostalgia. It’s a slick, well-polished slasher with a strong cast, but it often feels like it’s going through the motions rather than pushing the genre forward.
More Haunt-Tober coverage to come!