10 More Devastating Horror Movie Deaths You Couldn't Look Away From

Helen Shivers is arguably the most universally beloved non-final girl in slasher history. Sarah Michelle Gellar's protagonist is consistently lauded as the best thing about 1997's I Know What You Did Last Summer, outshining supposed lead Jennifer Love Hewitt with ease.

Helen's death is hugely devastating in part because she fights tooth and nail to escape her tormentor, going so far as to hurl herself from a third story window to evade his murderous pursuit. Perhaps more impressively, this occurs after being confronted with the sight of her dead sister, a visage that would cause most people to have a nervous breakdown.

Much like Black Water's Adam, Helen's demise at the hands of the killer hits audiences hardest because it appears that she has also managed to escape. She manages to make it to within eyeshot of the town's beauty pageant parade, which is ultimately her undoing. Despite her agonizing proximity to freedom, the killer catches up with her at the very last second, brutally murdering her with his trademark hook.

Helen dies mere feet away from safety, her screams of terror drowned out by the parade's marching band - a devastatingly undeserved end for a wildly celebrated non-final girl. Fans lament the fact that Helen did not make it to the final act to this day, practically resentful of the fact that they were unable to avert their eyes as she met her gruesome end.