MovieChat Forums > I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) Discussion > criminally underrated

criminally underrated

posted 12 years ago by CrimsondoubleChin
28 replies | jump to latest

maybe being a child of the 90's my nostalgia factor plays a role in this feeling, but how is this film a 5.5 & crap like Hostel & the remake of Last house on the left are rated higher? I just don't get it. The fascination with the new torture porn horror baffles me. IKWYDLS was genuinely scary, not just gruesome. The actors were competent, which is more than I can say for most horror movies nowadays. The suspense and fright were there throughout. It had nice small town scenery, and a decent soundtrack. I miss the days of movies like this, Scream, The Faculty, hell I'd even take Urban Legend over most mainstream horror films these days.

[–] sflowers539 12 years ago

I agree man, I was in High School during the Scream era and this movie was always my individual favorite. I am not a fan of the new horror as much, The Ring was amazing but the 100 Asian style horror movies that followed were rarely good. Recently I can't remembering anything I have seen which was great, just some horror which was decent. But back on topic, the actors were great and looked great, the story seemed like it could actually happen for the most part. There was suspense and fright throughout, jump scares were not over-used and were excellent then applied. Overall I loved the movie, I saw it with a bunch of friends at the theater when were we about 16 and got got a license to drive and I'll never forget it. The other cool thing is that they did not ID at movies back then so we had no problem getting into "R" rated films being slightly underaged. It seems like that changed overnight with "South Park" in 99'. I got ID'ed there for the first time ever and a few times after.

[–] Stratego 12 years ago

Hear, hear.

I agree with both of you.

[–] mikebourkefan 12 years ago

i dvr and rewatch every time this is on stars and remember loveing it in the theater. i only wish max hadent goten killed off

[–] shred-com 11 years ago

Sarah, Ryan and Jennifer acted circles around 99.9 percent of other actors in any other slasher movie. All 3 ended up having pretty good careers too.

And I totally agree. The IMDB score for this is way too low.

These were great films. Horror movies suck nowadays.

[–] mozee 11 years ago

Can only agree with this

[–] jt2002b 11 years ago

You guys are my heroes. I always feel like I am alone in this opinion. I love pretty much everything about this movie. The all star cast, the small town setting (not to mention I live in NC), the acting, the sense of a potential realistic plot, the creepy killer, and even the soundtrack. It all goes great together. But somehow most of imdb, rotten tomatoes, and almost the rest of the world don't agree. Jennifer Love Hewitt and Sarah Michelle Gellar are serious scream queens. Helen's death scene is one of the most intense, prolonged, just all around epic death scenes I can remember. I still find myself watching and rewatching the trailer over and over again. Even the trailer is creepy and memorable. I grew up with a horror movie obsessed dad who had me watching titles like: The Thing, Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, Creepshow, Prom Night, Alien, etc. So I know decent horror movies and am pretty hard to scare. But I'll never forget the nostalgia this movie brings to me. I watched it home alone when I was just 10 years old and was scared sh!tless. I slept with my mom that night haha. While others don't seem to have a problem, I will never forget this movie.

Nuff' said.

[–] paulrudd-609-211359 11 years ago

this movie rules, agree about the the helen death sequence, best chase scene in horror movie history!!! i never tire of this movie and i saw it when i was 11, im 25 now and still love it!!!!

[–] d-graph 11 years ago

I love this movie too. SMG's performance was great, especially her chase and tears...

[–] super-staff 11 years ago

Yeah, this isn't a bad horror film by any means. 5.5 seems a bit low for this, it's weird that it's rated that.

[–] koffeenkreame41-1 9 years ago

Yeah, this isn't a bad horror film by any means. 5.5 seems a bit low for this, it's weird that it's rated that.

^^This. And I agree with all of the above mentioned, this movie and it's sequel were and still are awesome, can't believe the ratings for either of them.

"I'm the ultimate badass,you do NOT wanna f-ck wit me!"Hudson,Aliens😬

[–] jumiguel 11 years ago

I completely agree. The rating is a joke. It's always the same when it comes to slasher movies.

[–] discostu2214 11 years ago

Agree. I put it as probably a top 3 of scariest and best horror films of the 1990s.

[–] Angelus-16 11 years ago

People didn't like it because it wasn't gory enough - I've always loved it though, has that nice slick late-90s vibe before we all worried about terrorists over psycho fishermen.

Vegan Voorhees - Giving love to 603 humble slasher movies http://www.hudsonlee.com

[–] Zelner 11 years ago

I agree, IKWYDLS should be at least 6. It's not great, but it definitely deserves more than 5.5. Final Destination 1 (also the product of the same era) has 6.7, and I think IKWYDLS should be on the same level with it.

[–] lathe-of-heaven 10 years ago

Fully agree; I feel that for the precise TYPE of Horror film that it was supposed to be and compared with other films of the same style, it was made very well...

Horror is such a HUGELY broad Genre that you honestly cannot compare every Horror film with another one directly. Is this one a 'THE SHINING'? No... Is this one an 'ALIEN'? No... BUT, I'll personally take a very well made Slasher film that takes itself seriously than any of these annoying self-conscious ones that is winking at the audience the whole time.

Compared to ALL Horror films; probably rate it about a 6

Compared to SIMILAR Horror films; probably rate it an 8

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