I Know Who Killed Me (2007) Review
Aubrey Fleming has the perfect life - football-playing boyfriend, good grades, and she's a talented piano player with a bright future in writing. A few days after the body of a fellow high school student is found after being missing for several days, Aubrey disappears. Fears of a serial killer in her small town of New Salem rise. But weeks later, Aubrey is found alive, though tragically disfigured. Her parents are thrilled to have her back alive, but she drops a bomb on them when she announces that she doesn't know who they are...and that she's NOT Aubrey. She says her name is Dakota Moss, the daughter of a now dead crackhead. Oh, and did I mention that Dakota's a stripper?
It never crossed my mind to watch this movie because I'm not a huge fan of Lindsay Lohan. At least, not her pre-FUBAR movies. I didn't mind The Parent Trap or Freaky Friday. But once she started boozing and partying (and, rumor has it, becoming a diva on movie sets), I didn't want to bother. But based on a review on this blog, I decided to give it a shot. The people who run this blog have some of the most hilarious reviews and I encourage you to take a look at each one, especially their review of The Crush.
Anyway, back to the movie. I thought it was very good. There were a few things that bugged me (as usual), but overall the casting (aside from Aubrey's dumb-jock boyfriend) and the writing was interesting. If you like watching shows like CSI or Cold Case, this might interest you. It's a good mix of the horror and true crime dramas that are prominent in Italian cinema. That being said...
The time line is slightly predictable, and so is the villain. I already had two picks as to who could be the killer before the movie hit the half mark and I was right in my choice. But the movie has a twist in the plot that I hadn't thought of, which is what made it so incredibly interesting. Probably the smartest concept of the film was the use of color. In nearly every scene with Aubrey, blue is a stand-out color. In scenes with Dakota, it's red. That includes their clothing. It's a separation tactic that works to establish their individuality and set them apart, not just by their personalities. I also have to give praise for their music choices. At times the score seemed cheesy, but in other portions (in particular the contemporary music, not just the score), it really set the tone for the scene. I also appreciated the fact that, even though Dakota is a stripper (or "exotic dancer", as she puts it), she stays in a bra and panties for those scenes. The director's choice to keep the naked body parts to a minimum, especially in the horror genre, is refreshing. I've said time and again that I'd love to see a horror film that doesn't depend on nudity to get butts in the seats. Wish granted!
However, there were some scenes that were missing. They were small, but still noticeable because they were in the trailer, but not in the film. For example, when Dakota is in the hospital being interviewed by the FBI psychologist, he automatically refers to her as Dakota Moss - how did he know that's the name she goes by? He never asked her in the film, but in the trailer, he did. It was completely skipped over, probably for time or perhaps because they wanted to spring the identity on the audience through someone other than Dakota. There was also a scene with the Fleming family's gardener (who flirted with Aubrey before she disappeared). This scene was included in the trailer, but not in the film. It may have been important to the plot and left out in favor of other scenes or, once again, because of time constraints. I think that if people put any thoughts they have against Lindsay Lohan to the side, watch this film and appreciate it for what it is - a great crime/suspense/horror flick - they'll like it just as much as I did.
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