Old-Fashioned Storytelling
I Know What You Did Last Summer is one of my favorite horror films. It’s one of several post-Scream slashers released in the late 1990s. It’s not overly stylized, gory, or sleazy. It doesn’t rely on the usual traits that slasher fans praise. This one takes a simple approach, relying on old-fashioned storytelling.
Originality
The premise is original. Four friends accidentally run over a man while they are out joy riding and rather than call for help they throw the body overboard and promise to never speak of the incident again. One year later, Julie James, the protagonist, receives a letter that says I Know What You Did Last Summer. Soon afterwards, Julie and her friends are stalked and taunted by a hook wielding killer clad in a fisherman slicker.
We spend the bulk of the movie trying to figure out who’s tormenting the friend group and observing how the entire incident has caused them to drift apart. In other words, the film is mostly a mystery piece where revelations constantly unfold.
It’s also a character driven saga, one that succeeds due to its standout cast of characters. There’s Barry, the arrogant football player. Helen is Barry’s girlfriend. She’s the popular girl with a heart of gold and the local beauty pageant winner. Ray is Julie’s boyfriend. He’s a nice guy from lower class origins. The gang has great chemistry with each other and come off as a realistic group of friends.
The Fisherman: The Antagonist of I Know What You Did Last Summer
The Fisherman is a standout amongst slasher villains. He’s not a masked killer. He wears a fisherman slicker that hides his face and carries a big hook. The fisherman is another killer that likes to take his time and play with his victims before striking. He sends them notes, cuts Helen’s hair off with scissors while she’s asleep, steals Barry’s jacket and almost runs him over, and places a dead body in the trunk of Julie’s car.
In a way, he reminds me of Ghostface from the Scream franchise. Both individuals are dressed in black, carry a signature weapon, and like to get inside their victims’ heads. The only difference is Ghostface calls his targets over the phone. The fisherman is the old-fashioned silent killer.
Julie James: The Final Girl of I Know What You Did Last Summer
Julie is a smart girl. She’s an honor’s student and doesn’t shy away from flashing her intellect when the opportunity arrives. She’s also determined. Julie is the main one who drives the search for answers about the identity of the man her friends accidentally ran over. Primarily, this is because their crime has weighed heavily on her conscience the most.
Unfortunately, during the third act she doesn’t battle the killer. She mostly runs around screaming on his boat. Ray does most of the fighting. However, in the sequel, Julie comes into her own and displays more of those battle hardened final girl traits we’ve come to love.
