I Know What You Did Last Summer

I Know What You Did Last Summer is a 1997 American teen slasher movie. The movie is based on the novel of the same name by Lois Duncan. The movie was directed by Jim Gillespie. It stars Jennifer Love Hewitt, Freddie Prinze, Jr., Sarah Michelle Gellar, Matthew Lillard, Neve Campbell and Ryan Phillippe. The writer is Kevin Williamson (the writer of Scream). It was followed by two sequels: I Still Know What You Did Last Summer and I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer.

Plot
On the Fourth of July in 1996 in Southport, North Carolina, high school graduates Julie James (Jennifer Love Hewitt), Ray (Freddie Prinze Jr.), Helen Shivers (Sarah Michelle Gellar), and Barry Cox (Ryan Phillippe) drive to the beach after a night of partying. While driving along a coastal byway, they accidentally hit a pedestrian. Julie's friend Max (Johnny Galecki) passes by them on the road. Julie reassures Max that everything is all right, and he leaves. After some arguing, the group decides to dispose of the body, dumping it in the water. They agree never to again discuss what had happened.

A year later, Julie returns home from her college in Boston for the summer. Since the incident, the friends have gone their separate ways. Julie receives a letter with no return address that says, "I know what you did last summer!" Disturbed, Julie tracks down Helen, who has returned to Southport to work at her family's department store after a failed attempt at an acting career in New York City. The girls take the note to Barry, who immediately suspects Max. They confront Max on the docks, and Barry threatens him with a hook. Julie meets Ray, who now works as a fisherman; he unsuccessfully tries to reconcile with her. Later, Max is killed by a figure in a rain slicker wielding a hook. Barry discovers a note in his gym locker that says, "I know." He is then ambushed by the same assailant, who is driving Barry's car.

Meanwhile, Julie, researches newspaper articles that lead them to believe the man they ran over was a local, named David Egan. Helen and Julie go to visit with David's sister Missy (Anne Heche) at her home. Missy explains to them that their family was devastated by David's death; she also mentions that one of David's friends, named Billy Blue, also visited her to pay his last respects. Later that night, the killer sneaks into Helen's house, cuts off her hair while she sleeps, and writes "Soon" in lipstick on her vanity mirror.

The following morning, Julie find on the trunk of their car Max's corpse with Barry's stolen jacket on it. When Julie calls the others, the body is missing. Julie, Helen, and Barry confront Ray about the recent events. Ray claims to have received a threatening letter as well. Julie goes back to visit Missy, and  Barry and Helen go to participate in the Fourth of July parade. Missy reveals that David allegedly committed suicide out of guilt for the death of his girlfriend, Susie, in a car accident. Missy  shows David's suicide note to Julie  As the writing matches that of the note that she received, Julie realise it was not a suicide note but a death threat.

At the Croaker Beauty Pageant, Helen witnesses Barry being murdered on the balcony. She rushes upstairs with a police officer but finds no sign of the killer. A police officer escorts Helen home, but the killer lures him into an alley and murders him. Helen flees to her nearby family store, where her sister Elsa (Bridgette Wilson) is closing for the night. The killer enters the store and murders Elsa. Helen is chased to the third floor of the building, escapes through a window, and falls  to a long alleyway. She manages to run toward the street, but the killer stops her and slashes her to death; her screams are drowned out by the sound of the oncoming parade.

Julie find an article mentioning Susie's father, Ben Willis (Muse Watson), and realize that Ben was the man they ran over, wich happened moments after he had killed David to avenge his daughter. She then go to the docks to tell Ray, but he refuses to believe her. Julie notice Ray's boat is called Billy Blue and run away. Ben appears, knocks Ray unconscious, and invites Julie and to hide on his boat. On the boat, she finds photos and articles about their friends and them,and pictures of Susie. Ben's boat leaves the docks, and he begins tormenting Julie by chasing her below deck. There, she uncover the bodies of Helen, and Barry in the boat's ice box. Ray regains consciousness and steals a motorboat to rescue Julie. He ultimately uses the rigging to sever Ben's hand and send him overboard. When the police question them, they deny knowing why Ben attempted to kill them, but they are relieved not to have actually killed anybody the previous summer, and they reconcile.

A year later, Julie is in college in Boston. As Julie enters the shower, she notices the words "I still know" on the mirror. Moments later, a dark figure crashes through it as Julie screams in horror.

Cast
 Jennifer Love Hewitt as Julie James
 Sarah Michelle Gellar as Helen Shivers
 Ryan Phillippe as Barry William Cox
 Freddie Prinze, Jr. as Ray Bronson
 Matthew Lillard as George Charles Bronson (Ray's brother)
 Neve Campbell as Charlotte Wilson (George's girlfriend)
 Bridgette Wilson as Elsa Shivers
 Anne Heche as Missy Egan
 Muse Watson as Ben Willis
 Johnny Galecki as Max Neurick
 Stuart Greer as Officer David Caporizon

Awards
 1997 ASCAP Award in the category "Top Box Office Films"

References

 Other websites 

Category:1997 horror movies
Category:1997 thriller movies
Category:1990s horror thriller movies
Category:1990s mystery movies
Category:1990s serial killer movies
Category:1990s teen horror movies
Category:American horror thriller movies
Category:American mystery movies
Category:American serial killer movies
Category:American teen horror movies
Category:Columbia Pictures movies
Category:English-language movies
Category:Movies about revenge
Category:Movies based on books
Category:Movies set in North Carolina
Category:Slasher movies