I Know What You Did Last Summer

I Know What You Did Last Summer

                          Here is the story of I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997 film):

Title: I Know What You Did Last Summer

Directed by: Jim Gillespie
Based on: The 1973 novel by Lois Duncan
Genre: Horror / Slasher / Mystery

Plot Summary (Full Story):

1. Graduation Night  A Terrible Secret

The film begins on July 4th in the small seaside town of Southport, North Carolina. Four friends 

  • Julie James (Jennifer Love Hewitt),

  • Helen Shivers (Sarah Michelle Gellar),

  • Ray Bronson (Freddie Prinze Jr.), and

  • Barry Cox (Ryan Phillippe) 

celebrate their high school graduation with a night of drinking and partying.

While driving along a dark coastal road late at night, they accidentally hit a man with Ray’s car. Believing the man to be dead and fearing it would ruin their futures, they decide to dump the body into the ocean. Before doing so, the man grabs Helen’s crown, indicating he’s still alive. Panicked, they push him in anyway.I Know What You Did Last Summer

They make a pact never to speak of the incident again.

2. One Year Later  The Letter

A year later, Julie returns from college looking pale and anxious. She receives a mysterious note that reads:
"I know what you did last summer!"

Shaken, she reunites with Helen, Barry, and Ray. Julie insists something is wrong, but the others are skeptical. Soon, sinister events begin happening:I Know What You Did Last Summer

  • Barry gets threatening notes and is attacked by a man with a fisherman's hook.

  • Helen wakes up to find her hair cut off and "Soon" written on her mirror.

  • Julie finds a dead body in her trunk, but it disappears before she can show the police.

3. Investigating the Mystery

Julie begins investigating and discovers they may not have hit a random stranger. She uncovers the name David Egan, a man who had died the previous year in a car accident near the same location.

Julie and Helen visit David’s sister, Missy Egan, who reveals that David had been depressed after his girlfriend Susie died in a car crash. Missy claims a man named Billy Blue visited her after David’s death.I Know What You Did Last Summer

Julie suspects they may have killed someone else someone who was seeking revenge for Susie’s or David’s death.

4. The Killer Strikes

At the town’s 4th of July celebration, the killer begins his rampage:

  • Helen’s sister Elsa is murdered.

  • Helen is chased and killed in a dark alley after a parade.

  • Barry is killed during a beauty pageant while Helen watches helplessly.

Julie and Ray try to solve the mystery and discover the truth:
The man they hit wasn’t David Egan — it was Ben Willis, Susie’s father, who had just murdered David Egan out of revenge for his daughter’s death. Moments later, they hit Ben and thought he was dead.I Know What You Did Last Summer

5. Final Showdown

Ben, now alive and vengeful, has been hunting them down, wearing a slicker (fisherman's coat) and using a hook as his weapon.

Julie and Ray face Ben on his fishing boat. A violent struggle ensues. Julie lures him into a trap, and they manage to cut off his hand, causing him to fall overboard. His body isn’t found — leaving his fate ambiguous.I Know What You Did Last Summer

6. Ending & Sequel Setup

One year later, Julie is back at college and appears to have moved on. As she prepares to shower, she sees "I Still Know" written in the steam on the mirror. Suddenly, the killer crashes through the glass...

The film cuts to black.





Themes & Style:

  • Guilt and secrets

  • Revenge and justice

  • Teen slasher tropes (mask, mystery killer, isolated victims)

  • Atmospheric coastal setting

  • Strong influence from Scream (also written by Kevin Williamson)

Follow-ups:

  • I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998)

  • I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer (2006)

  • Amazon Prime reboot series: I Know What You Did Last Summer (2021)

Let me know if you'd like summaries of the sequels too.

Location: United Kingdom

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