I know what you did last summer (5 Stars)

This film was written by Ken Williamson, best known as the writer and producer of the Scream films. This was actually his first screenplay, but after writing the script he was unable to find any interest in it and it was shelved. He went on to write "Scream", which was a big success, so he dusted off his old script, it was filmed, and it was also a success, though not to the same extent. That's a shame. Though not as innovative as "Scream", I consider "I know what you did last summer" to be a better film. It's also a teen slasher film, but unlike "Scream" it contains no parody elements. This is a traditional horror film in the style of "Halloween". A seemingly unstoppable killer is stalking his foes, killing random bystanders as collateral damage.

On July 4th 1996 four friends, Julie, Helen, Ray and Barry, are driving home from a beach party after their last year at school. They hit and kill a man walking along the road. Since they've been drinking they decide not to tell the police. They pack the body in the trunk and drive to the sea to dump it. As they're about to push the body into the sea the man, not dead after all, sits up and fights back. The four friends panic. They beat him up and push him into the water anyway. They make a pact never to tell one another what they have done.

A year passes. The friends lose contact with one another, but they are forced to meet one another when they realise that someone knows their secret. Not only does he know their secret, he is seeking revenge. Is it the murder victim, still alive? Or a witness that they hadn't noticed?

Click here to view the trailer. It's a bit fuzzy, but it's the only copy of the original trailer I could find on YouTube.