Helen Shivers is the Icon of 'I Know What You Did Last Summer'

When people discuss I Know What You Did Last Summer, there are sometimes conversations surrounding how it's a rip-off of Scream (despite being totally different in plot), how it's a mediocre slasher, or critiquing the twists. Meanwhile, when it comes to a certain side of the horror fandom, people typically bring up Helen Shivers (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and her icon status. And it's not to say the rest of the film is horrible or that Julie (Jennifer Love Hewitt) is the worst character in horror, but Helen is absolutely the scene stealer. 

I Know What You Did Last Summer1997

I Know What You Did Last Summer follows a friend group who cover up their hit-and-run, only to be stalked a year later by a killer with a hook. It's a classic ‘90s slasher that doesn’t do more than it sets out to and if you're a Scream fan, it's also written by Kevin Williamson. Not to mention, it has one of the best chase scenes in horror history. As far as secondary characters go, there's no arguing that Helen is an iconic character (who should have been the final girl). 

Helen's character at the start of the film might seem vapid, as she's participating in the Croaker Queen beauty pageant, but there's much more to her character. She has big dreams to make it big in New York as an actress, only to fail and have to return home to Southport to work at her family's store. There's a realistic feeling to Helen having to return home and how that ends up ruining her life further. She doesn't even bother pretending that she wasn't affected by what happened, and it lends to her story. 

Typically, in a slasher, a character like Helen wouldn't be so likable or memorable in the way that she is. Slashers often follow formulas, unless they are deliberately subverting tropes. Characters that are outwardly fixated on maintaining beauty aren't always depicted as intriguing. The fact that Helen is written as a subversion, especially when it comes to her relationships, isn't commonplace in the subgenre. Sarah Michelle Gellar's performance as Helen is layered, and it lends to why people regard Helen so highly. 

After the car accident, in which her and the friend group assume they've murdered someone, Helen's demeanor changes, and she breaks up with Barry (Ryan Phillipe) offscreen. And when Julie returns home, she experiences the coldness and standoffish from someone she considered to be her best friend. Their problems are never really solved, either, and that hits harder once she's murdered. 

It adds another layer to the emotional pain that Helen is going through and her scene with Julie in the car after going to see David Egan's sister, Missy (Anne Heche) is hard to watch. Despite how Helen isn't the main character, her moments of emotional vulnerability stand out more than Julie's. Helen is also not a typical mean girl who is constantly ruining lives, including those she's closest to. 

In fact, her sister is more cruel to her than anything, and her dad seems quite distant. She longs for the days before the accident, when she was popular and wasn't bogged down by her failures. As soon as the killer starts messing with her by hacking up her hair and leaving a message on her mirror, that's when Helen goes into high alert. Even though it doesn't end up saving her regardless. 

It's hard not to love her character and root for her to survive, even when you've watched the film so many times, all while knowing she's not going to. In my eyes, that's the mark of a memorable character who has had made a lasting impression. In comparison to Julie and her status as a final girl, Helen is far more interesting of a character and her survival would have been a major subversion to the final girl trope. 

When the time comes for the Croaker Queen pageant, Helen has to attend as the former winner and has somewhat made up with Barry. Unfortunately, she ends up seeing him get attacked, and the police don't believe her when she screams her head off about it. The aftermath of Barry's death leads to her chase scene, and she doesn't hold back as far as trying to survive. 

Helen's chase scene isn't short-lived by any stretch of the imagination, and it firmly cements her horror icon status. Unlike some chase scenes, Helen tries her best to make the right decisions, but the Fisherman is relentless in his pursuit of these kids. The entire scene consists of Helen running in a memorable dress, hiding out in her family store and having her sister be murdered, and then a lot of fleeing and fighting for her life. 

Rather than pointing Helen out to be a beautiful girl without a lick of sense, she actively tries to escape the clutches of the Fisherman. She even pulls herself upstairs by way of the pulley elevator and does everything she possibly can to survive her chase scene. And I Know What You Did Last Summer guts its audience when it offers us a glimmer of hope for Helen's survival. Only for her to be brutally murdered in the alleyway, all while the parade is covering up her screams. It's a moment that you won't soon forget, and it's a scene that makes all of us fans wish it turned out differently. 

Her chase scene ending in death is also different than how those typically go. Helen's positioned more as the final girl with her chase scene being so grand and nerve-wracking. But once she dies, it's clear that Julie will be one of the only survivors of the Fisherman's murderous rampage throughout their town. 

The impact of Helen as a character might not seem that vast, but it truly is for horror fans. If you consider yourself a fan of slashers then I Know What You Did Last Summer is a title you've seen at least once. Helen's influence on chase scenes and scream queens is very notable. Out of all the characters in the film, she's the one that can be endlessly discussed, even after over 20 years. Her arc is just cut short by her unfortunate and potentially shocking death. 

Despite not being the final girl of I Know What You Did Last Summer, Helen still remains the star and the icon of the film in comparison to the other characters. Without her presence in the film, it's unlikely that any of the characters could have taken her place. She owns the screen when she's on it, from her first scene during the Croaker Queen pageant and her fantastic chase scene. We owe a lot to Helen as a supporting character and she will never be forgotten. 


You can find out where to stream the film by visiting Just Watch. 


(image credit: Columbia Pictures)