Not that it lacks competition for the goofiest franchise when it comes to slasher films with numerous sequels, but I Know What You Did Last Summer sure has a variety of disparate entries. While the first film has its fans, I’ve always found it more self-serious than needed, with a weak mystery at its core. The second film, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, is horrendously bad, yet almost endearingly incompetent to the point of making it more watchable. Then there’s the direct-to-video entry, I’ll Always Know What You Did Last Summer, which decides to add a supernatural angle for good measure. I can’t speak to the short-lived Prime Video series, but I know it wasn’t met with roses either. Now we have a legacy sequel to the original films, and it’s decided to lean into self-awareness just enough, coming short of winking into the camera. The film almost feels like it can get away with it, that is, until the decision to treat the original movie like a sacred object helps to undo what could have at least worked as an average whodunnit horror flick.
Kicking things off, this film returns us to the town of Southport, North Carolina, where a group of friends eventually head out to a random part of a dangerous road, a spot they used to hang out at so they could watch fireworks on the Fourth of July. The friends inadvertently cause a traffic collision, resulting in a truck falling off a cliff into the water below, while the driver, though injured, was still alive during the fall. While the group does call the police, one of the friends’ fathers, the mayor, essentially covers up the whole thing in a way that leaves the group blameless. However, a year later, when the group finds themselves back together again for a bridal shower, a random gift is simply a note proclaiming, “I Know What You Did Last Summer!” Add to that a killer with a hook that dons a dark slicker, and you have another serial killer on the loose, as well as some past survivors who may know a thing or two about how to handle it.
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The amusing thing is that this movie would have worked better as a straight-up reboot rather than a sequel. While I think many of the issues would persist (and I’ll get to those), anchoring the film to the past not only means treating the first like its gospel, but doing a lot to betray the tone of that first film, and also upset the momentum of this one by checking in with characters from the past who aren’t adding a whole lot. I can admire seeing Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. being game to return (as if they were super busy otherwise), but giving them as much to do as they have here, as opposed to maybe a cameo, makes the film feel so much more labored in what it is trying to deliver.
On top of that, this script by director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson and co-writer Sam Lansky wants to be a lot more playful than the original, even if that means filtering things through a Gen Z lens and attempting to have fun with the cliches of this kind of movie without willfully acknowledging them the same way the Scream films do. That’s a tricky line to try and balance, and it doesn’t help that only a couple of characters really seem to be taking advantage of that. Of course, since my distaste for the original film stems from its overly straightforward and solemn approach, that would almost by default put this film ahead of it, were it not for the bland characterization of most of the other characters.
In terms of the winners we have to deal with, Madelyn Cline is a clear standout here. As the shallow, pretty friend, who is also into astrology and new earth healing techniques, Danica is the most fun to be around in terms of what keeps things moving in this film. The next best thing here is Tyriq Withers’ Teddy, Danica’s former boyfriend and the rich, jock who peaked in high school. His attitude makes him “the worst” as far as friends go, but, again, more entertaining to watch by default. And, not for nothing, at the core of both characters, you have devoted friends who would go to bat for others as a means of treating the apparent guilt they both have.
As for the rest of the cast, you have Chase Sui Wonders, our de facto lead, who does the most to enliven a flat character. Jonah Hauer-King plays her ex-boyfriend, his only defining characteristic. And Sarah Pidgeon is a friend who grew apart from the main group for “reasons” but becomes more involved once again at precisely the wrong time. A stronger movie could have done more with these folks, but since the film seems devoted to introducing red herrings, pushing the older characters on us, and never really coloring outside the lines as far as what these characters talk about, there’s little room for nuance. It’s especially disappointing when Wonders’ Ava is reintroduced after the accident by way of a drugged-up love scene between her and a murder-obsessed podcaster (Gabbriette Bechtel), and yet the film has nothing to say about this the minute it’s over.
Okay, but how about the horror of it all? Clearly, not everyone needs to be invested in the characters thanks to sharp writing or stunning characterization made possible by the actors truly living in their roles. Does the film capitalize on the killer’s silly attire and weapon of choice at any point? Yes and no. Frankly, given that we know the killer is human, it can be irritating to know we’re playing a waiting game as far as which corner they’ll appear around (at one point, the killer is not even hiding, yet treated like a surprise reveal to a comical degree). At the same time, the film has a tendency to cut away from the action for the sake of comedic juxtaposition or dramatic irony. It only hurts so much because there’s not much tension in any of the big scare scenes anyway. Still, with a limited number of characters and the amount of time taken to even get to the first real kill, the movie isn’t all that fun as a slasher either.
I guess I haven’t really addressed the core mystery. Clearly, I’m not going to give away too many details, but I’ll say that while the film doesn’t feel like it cheats, I couldn’t say I was really into the investigation of the possibilities. With that in mind, I didn’t see much reasoning for how revenge was being served either, but “killers be crazy” must be enough for some. Also, the less said about this film’s portrayal of authority figures, the better.
It’s easy to be snobbish about this kind of film, and sure, I haven’t been too kind here. However, the film gets credit for trying something. It wants to be a fun summer horror film that happens to have a major IP connection. I just can’t say I was a fan of the weight added by so thoroughly incorporating the past films into this one (even if it does eventually get in one great joke about the first sequel). Of course, also not helping is the lack of energy I got from a majority of this cast. Yes, not everyone can be comedic relief or just fun to watch, like Cline and Withers are here. Still, it doesn’t mean they have to feel like they are detracting from the experience either. As it stands, I Know What You Did Last Summer wasn’t the worst thing to have carved out some time for, but I wasn’t hooked by what was presented either.
I Know What You Did Last Summer opens in theaters on July 18, 2025.
