A Cult Horror Scene With a Surprising Backstory
“I Know What You Did Last Summer” cemented its place as a cult horror favorite in the late '90s. But its most talked-about scene didn’t originate from the script. Instead, it traces back to an unlikely source: a child who won a contest to create a part of the film. That very sequence—still shared and remixed online today—began with a kid’s inventive idea.
A Child Shapes One of Horror's Most Memorable Moments
It's rare to think of a child contributing creatively to a slasher film. But that’s exactly what happened on the set of Jim Gillespie’s 1997 movie. Thanks to a competition, one young winner was invited to invent a scene. The moment they dreamed up landed in the final cut and is now an iconic part of the film's lore.
If you’ve seen the movie, you probably remember it. About an hour in, Julie—played by Jennifer Love Hewitt—is driving when she hears a strange sound. At first, she thinks it’s coming from the rear of the car. Quickly, she realizes it’s coming from the trunk. When she stops, pops it open, she’s met with a grisly surprise: a corpse covered with crabs and other crustaceans. The sight instantly recalls the crime she and her friends committed the previous summer. But when she runs to get Barry (Ryan Phillippe) and Helen (Sarah Michelle Gellar), they're all shocked to find the trunk empty.
From a Contest to an Iconic Scream
Jennifer Love Hewitt reflected on how this memorable scene took shape in a 2008 interview with US Weekly, as later reported by Collider. She said:
“This scene was actually directed by a child who had won a contest that allowed them to come and create a moment in the film, and it ended up being the most iconic moment. I have no idea what happened to them, but the kid said, ‘I want her to stand in the street, turn around, and just scream: ‘What are you waiting for!’ I remember thinking, ‘Is he joking? Is this really what I’m supposed to do?’ But it was a brilliant idea.”
Over the years, this scene became one of the most referenced and parodied moments in horror, spawning countless online memes. Hewitt still gets recognized for it—especially during Halloween. She shared:
“Every Halloween, I’m with friends, someone who’s had a bit too much to drink while trick-or-treating will come up to me and yell: ‘What are you waiting for, huh?’ I just tell them, ‘Not you, buddy, keep moving.’ It really makes me laugh.”
A Legendary Moment Born From a Child’s Imagination
This unforgettable piece of horror movie history owes its existence to a child’s creativity—a reminder that sometimes the most iconic moments come from the most unexpected places.
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