Synopsis

One year after a fatal hit-and-run, four friends reunite in the coastal town of Southport. Their secret seems buried until Julie receives an ominous note declaring that someone knows what they did. As the group is stalked by a killer in a fisherman's raincoat wielding a hook, old loyalties fracture and the friends must uncover the truth before they become the next victims.

Factoids & Trivia

• Kevin Williamson wrote the screenplay before writing Scream. The script initially struggled to find a buyer, but the success of Scream helped Columbia Pictures bring it to the screen as part of the late-1990s slasher revival.

• The film is adapted from Lois Duncan's 1973 young adult novel, but its slasher approach differs substantially from the source. Duncan strongly objected to the movie's changes and its depiction of violent murder.

• Several road scenes were filmed on the same mountainous coastal road associated with Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds.

• For the beach campfire sequence, the production used an old boat purchased in Bodega Bay, cut it in half, and positioned it as part of the set.

• Released on October 17, 1997, the film became a significant commercial success, earning more than $125 million worldwide and helping establish a continuing film franchise.