Though it may not be at the same level as Kevin Williamson's other successful thriller ride, "Scream", but I Know What You Did Last Summer" succeeds nicely on a cleverly written script, heavy on tension and sharply developed characters featuring a cast of young performers at the time, who were showing promise at the time. Based on the novel by Lois Duncan, Williamson counteracts from his "Scream" film which was played closer to parody to give "I Know What You Did Last Summer" a more realistic approach to a stressful predicament our heroes have to face as they are dealing with death, remorse, guilt and revenge from someone who knows what they did last summer.
Set on the 4th of July in a small fishing community in North Carolina, we see four young teenagers who decided to enjoy the summer together possibly one last time as they get drunk and start telling ghost stories over a campfire. Then they figure out what their plans are for the future. The brainy Julie James (Jennifer Love Hewitt) has plans for college, beauty queen Helen Shivers (Sarah Michelle Gellar) has ambitions of becoming an actress in hopes to star on a soap opera, Barry Cox (Ryan Phillippe) who's a jock has plans of getting a football scholarship in hopes to play for the NFL and Ray Bronson (Freddie Prinze Jr.) an average guy who has hopes he could get through life as he works at the docks with fellow rival, Max Neurick (Johnny Galecki).
What this movie succeeds to what "Scream" fails is that "I Know What You Did Last Summer" has narrative that strong in terms of morals and a life lesson that the quartet had to deal with. Unlike the novel by Duncan, Williamson made the film more tense, more conflicted, and way more violent as a way to somehow compete with "Scream". Under the direction of first-time director Jim Gilliespie, he ensured that the story and genre are handled in a simplistic, but still clever approach to a film that could've been just another cliche slasher film.
While getting inebriated on their ride home, Barry turns up the radio to loud alernative music, screaming out the roof of the car, drunken like the idiot that he is, when all of the sudden, they run over a person. Shaken, by what they encountered, Ray looks to see if the man, they ran over is dead. Ray assumes that he's deceased. Knowing that Barry's bottle was still filled with booze, reporting the incident to the police would lead all four teens to a possible arrest, the group decides to carry the body and throw him into the water and vow to never mention a word to anyone.
Things haven't been going to well for the four friends who have become somewhat embittered with each other, especially Barry who has become more angrier and hostile towards everybody. Julie's grades have been slipping since the horrific accident and Helen's dreams of becoming a soap opera star has diminished as she's now working at her father's store with her cynical, bossy sister Elsa (Bridgette Wilson).
A year later, Julie returns home and finds in her mail an anonymous latter that says, "I know what you did last summer". Now Julie get the gang together to further invesigate as to who's been sending these letters all the while a crazed madman sporting a fisherman's parka complete with a hook on his hand is on a killing spree might even be the one who knows what they did too.
When it came to casting, it was clever that Williamson casted the right young actors to play the roles that likely fit the roles they have been known for. Hewitt was the perfect choice for Julie James due to playing a similar role she famous for at the time whrn she starred on the CW teen drama "Party of Five" very much in the same vein of Neve Campbell's role in "Scream". Gellar who plays the likable Buffy Summers on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" has similar likability here as Helen Shivers. Freddie Prinze Jr. Is effective as the more level-headed Ray that's needed for a film like this. Phillippe is believable as the understandably hostile and eterally angry Barry who coceals his fears and worries by acting more toxic with everyone he meets. Even Anne Heche plays a smaller and effective role as an eccentric woman who might be related to the hit-and-run victim.
The rookie director Gillespie succeeds in keeping our heroes in line with guilt-trodden, anxiety ridden, salvation seeking moments and an exciting climax that reveals everything to a satisfying conclusion. It really has a conclusion that will likely make Hitchcock green with envy. Other behind the scenes contributor deserve praise like production designer Gary Wissner, and director of photography Denis Crossan who captures horor fillm effects like smoke and fog along with dark shadows in the background. And finally composer John Debney who relies more on orchestral music, contrary to hard rock music that we are familiar in genres like these.
Set on the 4th of July in a small fishing community in North Carolina, we see four young teenagers who decided to enjoy the summer together possibly one last time as they get drunk and start telling ghost stories over a campfire. Then they figure out what their plans are for the future. The brainy Julie James (Jennifer Love Hewitt) has plans for college, beauty queen Helen Shivers (Sarah Michelle Gellar) has ambitions of becoming an actress in hopes to star on a soap opera, Barry Cox (Ryan Phillippe) who's a jock has plans of getting a football scholarship in hopes to play for the NFL and Ray Bronson (Freddie Prinze Jr.) an average guy who has hopes he could get through life as he works at the docks with fellow rival, Max Neurick (Johnny Galecki).
What this movie succeeds to what "Scream" fails is that "I Know What You Did Last Summer" has narrative that strong in terms of morals and a life lesson that the quartet had to deal with. Unlike the novel by Duncan, Williamson made the film more tense, more conflicted, and way more violent as a way to somehow compete with "Scream". Under the direction of first-time director Jim Gilliespie, he ensured that the story and genre are handled in a simplistic, but still clever approach to a film that could've been just another cliche slasher film.
While getting inebriated on their ride home, Barry turns up the radio to loud alernative music, screaming out the roof of the car, drunken like the idiot that he is, when all of the sudden, they run over a person. Shaken, by what they encountered, Ray looks to see if the man, they ran over is dead. Ray assumes that he's deceased. Knowing that Barry's bottle was still filled with booze, reporting the incident to the police would lead all four teens to a possible arrest, the group decides to carry the body and throw him into the water and vow to never mention a word to anyone.
Things haven't been going to well for the four friends who have become somewhat embittered with each other, especially Barry who has become more angrier and hostile towards everybody. Julie's grades have been slipping since the horrific accident and Helen's dreams of becoming a soap opera star has diminished as she's now working at her father's store with her cynical, bossy sister Elsa (Bridgette Wilson).
A year later, Julie returns home and finds in her mail an anonymous latter that says, "I know what you did last summer". Now Julie get the gang together to further invesigate as to who's been sending these letters all the while a crazed madman sporting a fisherman's parka complete with a hook on his hand is on a killing spree might even be the one who knows what they did too.
When it came to casting, it was clever that Williamson casted the right young actors to play the roles that likely fit the roles they have been known for. Hewitt was the perfect choice for Julie James due to playing a similar role she famous for at the time whrn she starred on the CW teen drama "Party of Five" very much in the same vein of Neve Campbell's role in "Scream". Gellar who plays the likable Buffy Summers on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" has similar likability here as Helen Shivers. Freddie Prinze Jr. Is effective as the more level-headed Ray that's needed for a film like this. Phillippe is believable as the understandably hostile and eterally angry Barry who coceals his fears and worries by acting more toxic with everyone he meets. Even Anne Heche plays a smaller and effective role as an eccentric woman who might be related to the hit-and-run victim.
The rookie director Gillespie succeeds in keeping our heroes in line with guilt-trodden, anxiety ridden, salvation seeking moments and an exciting climax that reveals everything to a satisfying conclusion. It really has a conclusion that will likely make Hitchcock green with envy. Other behind the scenes contributor deserve praise like production designer Gary Wissner, and director of photography Denis Crossan who captures horor fillm effects like smoke and fog along with dark shadows in the background. And finally composer John Debney who relies more on orchestral music, contrary to hard rock music that we are familiar in genres like these.