I Know Who Killed Me (2007)- Retro Review

I Know Who Killed Me is a horror movie hidden gem. It was unfairly placed in the number one spot of Siskel and Ebert’s “Worst of 2007” list. Not that either Siskel or Ebert are known scary movie aficionados, but I digress. Although I love a wide array or films (horror or otherwise), I have a weakness for interesting thrillers with unique twists. I am also a sucker for LiLo (Lindsay Lohan). Needless to say, for me, I Know Who Killed Me had a lot going for it. It had style, gore, dark comedy, sexiness, and intelligence. Yes, I said it possessed intelligence… and it did.

I Know Who Killed Me tells the story of wholesome small town girl Aubrey Fleming (Lohan) who is abducted by a sadistic serial killer (Thomas Tofel). After being missing for a while, she turns up alive but acting like a completely different person. She isn’t all sweetness and light anymore; now, she’s a bad girl. She actually believes she is someone named Dakota Moss, a cigarette smoking, sexed up stripper who has no idea who Aubrey is. Even though a DNA test proves that she’s Aubrey, Dakota insists that she’s a totally different person, bringing up a legitimate past and everything. That alone should sell you but I will continue to tell you why this movie is amazing.

The plot, by itself, is intriguing, but I Know Who Killed Me doesn’t just rely on that. The movie itself is a visual feast. It is extremely stylistic without being in your face about it. Everything is extremely symbolic but never once steps into the realm of indulgence. If that isn’t enough to convince you to give it a watch, then the suspense and gore should get your heart racing.

When Aubrey gets her hand cut off, Dakota’s mysteriously falls of,f too. Weird, right? Her parent’s tell her that this is impossible and she says that her being Aubrey is impossible, too. She has memories of a horrible childhood and a whole life behind her that says that she is Dakota. The real question is this: is any of it true? She’s going to have to figure it out pretty quick because her body parts are falling off fast.

I Know Who Killed Me does a really good job providing a reason for its violent and gory nature. As the now proclaimed Dakota tries to figure out the mystery of what is happening to her, she starts to wonder if Aubrey is, in fact, somehow her twin. This would mean that she is suffering a strange phenomena like stigmata where everything that is happening to Aubrey is happening to her as well.

Sure, the plot of I Know Who Killed Me is a little wonky. In fact, it is absolutely bonkers but that doesn’t take away from the fact that it is a suspenseful, entertaining, and great thrill-fest that did not get a chance to shine as it should have. Critics tore it apart based on their feelings for what was going on with Lindsay Lohan in real life, instead of judging it by its substance. That is completely unfair and an injustice to journalism everywhere. Lindsay did an amazing job and she is one of the most underrated actresses of our generation. I can’t wait to see her back in her prime because she is going to knock our socks off one day.