1996 and 1997were two absolute powerhouse years for slasher movies.ScreamandI Know What You Did Last Summer, both written byKevin Williamson, are credited with revitalizing the genre.Screamsatirized horror films and was popular with critics and audiences alike, whileI Know What You Did Last Summerwas less critically acclaimed but still a box office hit that showed the continued interest in slasher movies. However, not every slasher that tried to follow in these movies’ footsteps was successful.
One egregious offender is 1998’sUrban LegendwithAlicia Witt, star ofLonglegswithNicolas CageandMaika Monroe.InUrban Legend, Witt plays a college student (alongside budding stars likeJared LetoandJoshua Jackson) who is being terrorized by a killer recreating urban legends. While the cast is fun to watch – especiallyRebecca Gayheart– and the premise interesting,Urban Legendjust doesn’t have the same oomph as its predecessors, no matter how much material it takes from them.
Urban Legend
Urban Legend is a slasher film set at a New England university, where students are being killed in ways mimicking popular urban legends. Natalie, a college student, suspects a connection between the murders and seeks to uncover the truth. As the body count rises, she and her friends must confront the horrifying reality that someone is using these legends as a blueprint for murder.
‘Urban Legend’s Killer Has an Obsession Like the Killers in ‘Scream’
InScream, everyone talks about horror movies all the time; that’s part of its charm as a horror movie itself. The killers in particular love horror movies,quizzing one of their victims about the genre before murdering themand generally basing their actions around horror tropes. It works becausethe characters directly comment on and poke fun at horror moviestapleswhile being in the middle of one themselves.
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Urban Legendattempts to ape this obsession angle by focusing on – you guessed it – urban legends. Stories that have permeated virtually every community in America, like the classic aboutthe babysitter receiving menacing callsfrom inside the very house in which she’s watching the children. Some of these tales have been the focus of their own horror movies. The babysitter story in particular might be the most famous example, inspiringWhen a Stranger Callsfrom 1979, which then spawned a ’90s sequel anda 2000s remake of the same name. This kind of hook honestly isn’t terrible; the filmmakers are taking stories plenty of people are familiar with and making them “real.” But it just doesn’t havethe same satirical bite asScream. When you take that away, all you’re left with is a few okay kills and a run-of-the-mill story that’s been done plenty of times before.
‘Urban Legend’s Killer Wears a Similar Outfit to the Killer in ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’
BothI Know What You Did Last SummerandScreamfeaturekillers wearing distinctive costumes. This isn’t unusual for horror movies, of course, but it’s typically a good idea to choose a costume that stands out from the crowd. Unfortunately,Urban Legendwent with a less-impressive version of the raincoat and hook the killer fromI Know What You Did Last Summerwears:a winter parka and an axe.
Not only does it feel too similar toI Know What You Did Last Summer,it makes zero sense thematically. The axe is the generic murder weapon that can be substituted into many urban legends, but the parka has no connection at all to those tales.It’s not even wintertime in the movie, but for some reason, multiple characters have the same exact style of parka in their wardrobes. It’s a hilariously lazy attempt to insert red herrings into the plot.
‘Urban Legend’s Plot Is Similar to ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’
Although many critics comparedUrban Legendunfavorably toScreamon its release, the movie’s plot is actually a lot closer to that ofthe originalI Know What You Did Last Summer. In addition to having a similar-looking villain, the motivations behind the killings are virtually the same as well. InI Know What You Did Last Summer,the killer wants revenge on college kidswho left him for dead in a hit-and-run. There’s also a subplot involving him killing his daughter’s boyfriend; the boyfriend was responsible for the daughter’s death in a different car accident.
InUrban Legend,the murderer is also seeking revengeagainst a pair of college students. And just likeI Know What You Did Last Summer, they caused a car accident that killed the murderer’s boyfriend. A few of the roles have been swapped around, but the general gist is the same in both movies. They even sharea “twist” ending jumpscareto reveal the killer is still around. Considering its release just one year afterI Know What You Did Last Summer,Urban Legendjust feels wholly unoriginal.
The Cast of ‘Urban Legend’ Is Its Best Feature
A knock-off it may be, butUrban Legenddoes have one thing going for it: its wild cast. Alongside main protagonist Alicia Witt isa who’s who of up-and-coming ’90s heartthrobs. Jared Leto had already starred inMy So-Called Lifeand was on the verge of his star-making role inRequiem for a Dream. Joshua Jackson was also just starting onDawson’s CreekwhenUrban Legendcame out, andAmerican Piewas just around the corner for Tara Reid.In just a couple of years,Michael Rosenbaumwould be Lex Luthor inSmallville.
While it’s fun to watch these nowhighly recognizable faces at the very beginning of their careers, most of their performances are pretty standard. The real stand-out is Rebecca Gayheart as the best friend of Alicia Witt’s character. (It’s also worth noting thatGayheart had also appeared inScream 2just one year beforeUrban Legend).Gayheart goes from average college student to wild woman in the finale, and her over-the-top acting is a genuine highlight of the film.
Urban Legendalso ropes intwo Hollywood horror legendsto add some spice. Brad Dourif,voice of Chucky in the Child’s Play franchise, has a small but fun cameo in the beginning of the film as a seemingly menacing gas station attendant. Butthe real powerhouse is Robert Englund, the actor beneath the makeup of Freddy Krueger. Englund plays a professor of American folklore who quickly becomes the prime suspect in the urban legend killings. A horror icon and some fun scenery-chewing doesn’t exactly saveUrban Legendfrom being a lesser version ofScream. But there is a kernel of originality inusing urban legends as the hookfor your horror movie, and it’s goofy enough in parts to be worth a watch.A reboot was reportedly in the works, but only time will tell ifUrban Legendis worth a third-act comeback.
Urban Legendis available to watch on Max in the U.S.
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