It’s Time for ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’ to Stop Living in the Shadow of ‘Scream’
Kevin Williamson is a brilliant and celebrated screenwriter with a number of impressive credits to his name. Along with Wes Craven, Williamson helped redefine the horror genre with the meta-slasher Scream. He also penned the screenplay for the Robert Rodriguez classic The Faculty and even has a number of hit TV series under his belt. But there’s one Kevin Williamson effort that rarely seems to get the recognition it deserves. I’m talking about I Know What You Did Last Summer, which observes a release date anniversary today. And since I love an underdog, I’d like to take a moment to look back on this chilling outing and celebrate its many merits.
I Know What You Did Last Summer is an adaptation of the Lois Duncan novel of the same name. Williamson made significant changes to the source material (much to Duncan’s displeasure), rewriting what was a thriller in literary form as a proper horror picture. Director Jim Gillespie brings Williamson’s screenplay to life with panache, putting viewers through the wringer with pulse-pounding suspense and unforgettable chase sequences. The film also benefits from an impressive cast of characters that turn in strong performances. In spite of all that, the flick seems to be regarded by many as a mediocre effort, at best. And that is a damn shame.
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The film sees four friends heading out for a summer joyride that turns deadly when they accidentally plow down a pedestrian. Whoops. The reckless youngsters opt to cover up their misdeed, rather than own up to the consequences. Initially, they think they’ve escaped unscathed. But one year later, each begins receiving threatening letters. The letters are succeeded by escalating acts of violence, ultimately culminating in a bit of murder.
There are probably a number of reasons I Know What You Did Last Summer rarely gets its due. Perhaps the biggest reason is that it lives in the shadows of its more celebrated counterpart, Scream. I recognize that Scream is a masterpiece and a superior film. But I also believe, with every fiber of my being, that I Know What You Did Last Summer is a slick horror picture that is equal parts chilling and atmospheric. Yet, people seem to look past it because it isn’t as witty or self-referential as Scream.
The problem with that is that the two pictures are very different. So, to put them side by side isn’t an apples-to-apples comparison. Scream is a deconstruction of the genre. I Know What You Did Last Summer isn’t. There are some metatextual references but I Know What You Did Last Summer is a lot more straightforward and is arguably scarier as a result. We don’t have the reprieve associated with the in-jokes to recalibrate between scares. And I would argue that has the potential to make the viewing experience even more intense.
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Part of what makes I Know What You Did Last Summer so effective is that it’s focused on a smaller core cast with a lower body count. In fact, none of the primary characters succumb to the killer until over an hour into the film’s runtime. Rather than immediately resorting to murder, the killer toys with the teenage protagonists, gradually building up to murder, rather than using it as a starting point. It’s a deviation from the typical slasher formula but it works well here. The killer’s escalating behavior puts the core cast in a pressure cooker, leaving the audience to watch as the leads slowly unravel. Additionally, that approach gives the viewer the chance to spend more time with the characters allowing the audience to become more invested in their fate. Seeing some of them meet with a tragic conclusion is kind of heartbreaking.
Adding to the mounting sense of tension is the notion that Barry (Ryan Phillippe) is scripted almost like a secondary antagonist. There’s something delightfully sinister about the way Phillippe brings Barry to life. He is so volatile that I find myself getting uncomfortable when he’s onscreen. He is reckless, unhinged, and unpredictable. Phillipe brings intensely aggressive energy to the proceedings, which leaves me feeling unsettled long before the actual antagonist even shows up.
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The flick also ramps up the tension with some killer chase sequences. Amongst them, one in particular stands out. The scene where the hook-toting antagonist offs the lawman escorting Helen home and then chases her through the department store her family owns is easily one of the most nerve-shredding pursuits in ‘90s horror. The way we think she’s found safety within the walls of the storefront gives us a moment of false hope. And then the killer emerges from the shadows and it continues. It’s perfect. No notes.
Ultimately, I Know What You Did Last Summer never quite reaches the lofty highs of Scream. But it is still an intense, character-driven chiller with a great cast; and it features one of the best chase scenes in ‘90s horror. As such, I think it’s time for the picture to emerge from the shadow of Scream and be lauded as an intense and thrilling slasher. If you’re still not convinced, I would encourage you to give the film a rewatch in observance of its release date anniversary and see if you don’t find that it’s way better than you remember.
Categorized:Editorials
