10 Horror Characters You Really Wanted To Live (But Knew They Were Doomed)

10. Helen Shivers - I Know What You Did Last Summer

I Know What You Did Last Summer could’ve easily been another Scream-inspired knockoff that faded into the sea of similar movies, but writer Keven Williamson (who also penned the adventures of Sidney Prescott a year prior) carried something unique into this flick: authentic dialogue, genuine scares and, most importantly, characters you care about rather than just cannon fodder.

One of these characters is Helen Shivers, played by Sarah Michelle Gellar. Helen seems on the surface to be another superficial beauty queen, but she is far more than that.

Combining a clever character arc with the natural charm of Gellar, Helen is easily the film’s most likable character. This makes her fate all the harder to watch.

Even though the final girl’s place is firmly taken, viewers couldn’t help but hope Gellar's character would also wriggle her way out of the jaws of death by the end of the film.

Sadly, after a dynamic and thrilling chase sequence, she makes one terrible mistake. For some reason, Helen stops dead in her tracks to have a little look around, which allows the killer to get the jump on her!

How dare you, Helen?! We were rooting for you!! We were all rooting for you!!