Everyone remembers the yellow slicker. You see that heavy PVC coat and the silver meat hook, and you immediately think of 1997. It’s a specific kind of nostalgia. But honestly, the fisherman I know what you did last summer—whose actual name is Ben Willis—represents something much darker than just a late-90s slasher trend. He wasn’t a supernatural teleporting zombie like Jason Voorhees or a dream-hopping prankster like Freddy Krueger. He was just a guy. A guy who was grieving, furious, and apparently incredibly good at hiding in the back seats of cars without being noticed.
Most people forget the setup. It wasn’t just a random killing. It was a hit-and-run on a winding coastal road in North Carolina. Four teenagers, high on graduation adrenaline and probably a little too much booze, hit a man. They panicked. They argued. They dumped the body into the Atlantic. That’s the core of the horror. It’s the guilt. The fisherman isn’t just a killer; he’s the physical manifestation of a secret that won’t stay buried.
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Who exactly was Ben Willis?
The movie, directed by Jim Gillespie and written by Kevin Williamson, actually changed quite a bit from Lois Duncan’s 1973 novel. In the book, there was no hook. There was no slicker. There was just a grieving brother seeking psychological revenge. But for the big screen, they needed a "monster."
Enter Ben Willis.
Ben was a local. Before he became the urban legend in the slicker, he was a father. His daughter, Susie Willis, had died in a car accident at the hands of her boyfriend, David Egan, near the same spot where the teens eventually hit Ben. It’s a messy, tragic backstory that makes the "villain" more of a force of nature fueled by recursive trauma. When Julie James (Jennifer Love Hewitt), Ray Bronson (Freddie Prinze Jr.), Helen Shivers (Sarah Michelle Gellar), and Barry Cox (Ryan Phillippe) hit him, they weren't just hitting a stranger. They were hitting a man who had already lost his world.
He survived the initial impact, of course. That's the twist. He wasn't dead when they threw him in the water. He stared right at Max (Johnny Galecki) before slipping under. That look is what drives the tension of the entire first act. It’s not about if he’s coming back, but when he’s going to start sending those notes.
The iconography of the hook
Why a hook? It’s practical. It’s terrifying. It’s messy.
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The fisherman I know what you did last summer uses the hook because it ties back to his life on the water in Southport. It also taps into the "Hookman" urban legend that has terrified teenagers at "lover's lane" spots for decades. By giving Ben Willis this weapon, the filmmakers turned a standard revenge thriller into a full-blown slasher icon.
Think about the kill scenes. They aren't clean. They’re jagged. The way he drags the hook across surfaces to create that screeching metallic sound is classic horror sound design. It’s meant to grate on your nerves. When he stalks Helen Shivers through her family's department store—which is arguably one of the best-directed chase sequences in 90s cinema—the hook is always just inches away from her throat. It’s personal.
Why the fisherman still works for modern audiences
He’s relatable. Not the killing part, obviously. But the idea of being hunted by your own mistakes? That’s universal.
Modern slashers often lean too hard into the "indestructible" trope. Ben Willis feels different because he’s actually quite vulnerable. He gets hit, he gets pushed, he loses a hand. By the end of the first film, he’s basically a wreck. But he keeps coming. That persistence is scarier than a ghost because it’s human obsession taken to a lethal extreme.
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We also have to talk about the setting. The coastal atmosphere of Southport, North Carolina, adds a layer of isolation. You have the Fourth of July parades, the bright lights, and the "Croaker Queen" pageant, and then you have the dark, oily water of the docks. The fisherman blends into that environment perfectly. He belongs there. The kids are the intruders in his world.
The sequels and the "Urban Legend" shift
Things got a bit weird with I Still Know What You Did Last Summer. They moved the action to the Bahamas during storm season. Ben Willis somehow gets his son, Will Benson (get it? Will, son of Ben?), involved in a convoluted trap. It’s a bit over-the-top, but it solidified the fisherman as a franchise staple.
By the time the third movie, I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer, rolled around, they leaned into the supernatural. This is where many fans felt the character lost his edge. Making him a literal ghost or a revenant took away the "angry guy with a grudge" vibe that made the 1997 original so effective. If he can’t die, the stakes feel lower for the protagonists. You just expect him to show up.
Common misconceptions about the movie
- The "Victim" wasn't who they thought: For a large chunk of the movie, the characters think they killed David Egan. They didn't. They killed Ben Willis, who had actually just killed David Egan right before they hit him. It’s a double layer of irony.
- The Slicker: It’s not just a costume. In a small fishing town, wearing a yellow slicker is like wearing a hoodie in a city. It’s camouflage.
- The Novel vs. The Movie: Lois Duncan famously hated the movie. She wrote the book as a grounded suspense novel after the real-life unsolved murder of her daughter. Seeing her story turned into a "blood and guts" slasher was reportedly very upsetting for her.
What we can learn from Ben Willis
If you're a horror fan or a filmmaker, the fisherman I know what you did last summer is a masterclass in "The Silhouette." A great slasher needs a silhouette that you can recognize instantly in the dark.
- Identity through environment: His weapon and clothes tell you where he's from without him saying a word.
- The "Sins of the Father" motif: The cycle of violence in the Willis family didn't start with the accident; it was a chain reaction of tragedies.
- The Power of the Note: Sometimes the psychological torture—the simple sentence "I Know What You Did Last Summer"—is more effective than the actual physical threat. It forces the characters to turn on each other long before the killer even shows up.
Final takeaways for slasher fans
If you're revisiting the franchise, start with the 1997 original and pay attention to Muse Watson’s performance. He barely speaks, but his physical presence is imposing. He doesn't run; he stalks.
To truly appreciate the character, look past the jump scares. Look at the way the film handles the "Final Girl" trope with Julie James. Unlike many other slashers where the heroine is purely innocent, Julie is technically a criminal. She participated in a cover-up. This creates a moral gray area that makes the fisherman's pursuit feel almost... justified? From his perspective, he's the hero of a revenge story. From hers, he’s a nightmare.
Next Steps for Enthusiasts:
- Watch the 1997 Original: Focus on the cinematography by Denis Crossan; the use of shadows and water reflections is top-tier.
- Read the Lois Duncan Novel: Compare how the lack of a "slasher" element changes the psychological impact of the guilt.
- Research the filming locations: Much of the movie was filmed in Southport, NC, and you can still visit the docks where some of the most iconic scenes took place.
- Analyze the 2021 Amazon Series: If you want to see a completely different take on the "fisherman" concept, the TV series attempts a modern, Gen-Z spin on the secret-keeping premise.
The fisherman isn't going anywhere. As long as people keep making mistakes and trying to hide them, Ben Willis will be there with a hook and a heavy yellow coat, waiting for the anniversary.