Columbia

The latest from Scream writer Kevin Williamson tells the story of four teenagers on a summer night after graduation. Afetr a night of partying by the beach they accidentally run down a fisherman on a dangerous stratch of road called Reaper's Curve. Fearing manslaughter charges they dump his body in the ocean and promise to never speak of it again. Cut to one year later. The four have went their separate ways, but are reunited when one gets a note that says simply, "I know what you did last summer." They are then stalked by a mysterious figure wearing a fisherman's outfit and bearing a menacing hook as a weapon.

I Know What You Did Last Summer will no doubt be compared to Scream by most. Both are updated versions of the slasher movie formula. But where Scream was at times tongue-in-cheek with its self-referential dialogue, Summer is more straightforward and serious. It is also more character-driven than Williamson's previous outing. Director Gillepsie does a fine job in his debut film, conjuring up some cool imagery. The film has a lot of good jolts, and the performances are all on the mark. While this film has to be my early pick for film of the year, it falls short of Scream in one area: the climactic scene where the killer's identity is revealed and the ensuing chase left a lot to be desired. Nonetheless, this is still a great film and not to be missed, especially by slasher fans.

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