I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER

US, 1997, 100 minutes, Colour.
Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Geller, Ryan Phillipp, Freddie Prinze Jr, Bridgette Wilson, Anne Heche, Johnny Galecki, Muse Watson.
Directed by Jim Gillespie.

I Know What You Did Last Summer is a classic horror film for younger audiences. Written by Kevin Williamson, who wrote Scream as well as Teaching Mrs Tingle, the film draws on many of the conventions of the horror film and puts them together quite neatly.

The four young stars, at the beginning of their careers. Portray a group of friends who are celebrating in the summer holiday, drive home and knock somebody down. They decide to get rid of the body and not tell anyone.

A year later, the Jennifer Love Hewitt character receives a note saying, “I know what you did last summer.” The friends, who have fallen out, reassemble in the town, discover that the person they thought they killed was not the person whose body was thrown into the sea. They go to visit the sisters of the alleged victim – but are menaced by the real victim who is the father of a little girl, run over by the man they thought they killed. This provides for plenty of complications, plenty of pursuits, plenty of terrors.

There was a sequel a year later with Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze.

1.An interesting and entertaining horror film? For younger audiences? Older audiences?

2.The title and expectations? The resort, the summer, the celebration? A year later? College? The coast, the beaches? The film’s use of night and shadow? The musical score?

3.The credibility of the opening of the film, Helen as the beauty queen, celebrating with Julie, the boyfriends? The drinking, the driving? Ray and his hitting the man on the road? The response, the terror? Throwing the body into the sea? The pact to keep silence? The body not dead – and attacking Helen? The year passing?

4.Julie, the song, seeing the words of the note? Going back, the group reassembling? The effect of the year on each of them? Their personalities, clashes? Julie as heroine, trying to do the right thing? Helen as less scrupulous? Barry as cocksure of himself? Ray, genial – but under suspicion?

5.The summer holiday, the fears, the intimations of attack? The visit to Melissa, discussions with her, her eccentricity?

6.Helen and her sister Elsa, the glamorous Bridgette Wilson seen as dowdy? Her advice?

7.Max, his infatuation with Helen, his seeming to be a suspect? His being murdered?

8.The various murders? The policeman?

9.Benjamin Willis, his background, his love for his daughter, the dead man responsible for his death, his blaming the young people? His pursuit of them, mad, the fish-hook? The mysterious fisherman?

10.The confrontation with the group? Barry’s death? His attack on Helen, cutting her hair? Julie and her being stranded, Ray coming to her rescue?

11.The background of the coastal holiday resort, life there, the celebrations, the police in ordinary life, the sinister aspects? The opening for a sequel?