I Know What You Did Last Summer (1998)

What’s it about?

Four young friends bound by a tragic accident are reunited when they find themselves being stalked by a hook-wielding killer in their small seaside town.

The facts

• Directed by Jim Gillespie
• Starring Jennifer Love Hewitt (Party of Five), Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Ryan Phillippe (Cruel Intentions), Freddie Prinze Jr. (She's All That), Anne Heche (Donnie Brasco), and Johnny Galecki (The Big Bang Theory) 
• Runtime: 101 minutes
• English language

Why did it get this rating?

This film was classified by Te Mana Whakaatu, Classification Office. You can find out more about classification process and ratings here.

Violence and scary scenes

This film revolves around a serial killer who haunts a group of young adults. It contains strong bloody violence and jumpscares, though not as intense as a lot of other films in the slasher-horror genre.

Some of the strongest moments of violence include:

• One woman is killed by having her neck sliced by a hook, splashing blood on a window. The killer is seen dragging her body away by the hook, which is still impaled into her chest. This is probably the film's most disturbing scene.
• A man is murdered offscreen and characters believe he drowned accidentally.
• A young man is impaled with a hook under his chin. Blood pours out of his chin and mouth before he is dragged over a counter, with blood smearing all over the counter.
• There is a scene where a young man is hit by a car and crashes through a building. He survives and is later seen with cuts and scrapes on his face.
• A young woman discovers a corpse in her car boot, with crabs crawling in its mouth, and two more corpses, one of which is frozen under ice.
• In one scene, a man’s hand is caught in boat rigging and severed at the wrist. We see it fall off when the rigging tightens.

Offensive language

This film contains offensive language including many uses of “f**k.”

When content stays with you:

We all have our boundaries, and it’s completely okay if something you’ve watched is weighing on your mind. If certain content lingers with you, consider having a chat with friends or whānau to debrief about what you’ve just seen. But if you’re still feeling affected, please reach out to any of the following helplines for support.  

• 1737
• Safe to talk
• Lifeline
• Youthline

Further information

• Why are ratings and content warnings important for me and my whānau?
• Brain development – how it works, why it matters