I Know What You Did Last Summer Review: A Frustrating, Disappointing Legacy Sequel

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Thinking up names for follow-ups to movies can be an enjoyable task. For instance, the Fast & Furious series has been quite diverse, but the I Know What You Did Last Summer franchise has consistently developed its sequels in a persistent manner. We had the initial 1997 film, followed by I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, and then the poorly received direct-to-video sequel I’ll Always Know What You Did Last Summer. Fast forward to 2025, and we have another sequel in the works. In an ideal scenario, this movie might be titled I’ll Continue to Forever and Always Know What You Did Last Summer. However, it appears they are following the path of Halloween (2018) and Scream (2022), opting for a legacy sequel by returning to the original title.

Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. reappear in the well-known slasher series, taking on their characters Julie James and Ray Bronson once more. Years later, they’re back in Southport, assisting a new group of friends who find themselves burdened with guilt over a death they caused and the subsequent attempt to hide it. It seems that such incidents are quite common in Southport.

If the initial sections didn’t captivate you, let me be direct: I Find It Disappointing and Annoying that I Know What You Did Last Summer is a film that struggles to escape the influence of its predecessor. Despite some daring concepts, the execution falls short. This remake returns to familiar grounds, taking place in Southport on the 4th of July once more. While these movies don’t receive the recognition they deserve as Independence Day films, they are worth revisiting every 4th of July. Here we encounter our new group of characters who share a past. They are young and have a history together.

Most horror films demand that viewers set aside some reality for enjoyment. However, this particular film seems to stretch this requirement by featuring another group of individuals who inexplicably share the burden of a person’s death on a cliff and vow never to discuss it again. The coincidence of this incident occurring in the same town is far-fetched. When you’re essentially repeating the plot of an earlier movie, it needs to be reimagined more creatively. Unfortunately, this film doesn’t handle its initial event as effectively as it should.

In this rephrased version: The character Teddy (Tyriq Withers) is acting foolishly and dangerously, standing right in the center of the road. His companions are attempting to move him out of harm’s way. Unfortunately, a car veers off course to prevent hitting them, and it plows through the safety barrier. The characters frantically try to halt the vehicle, but their efforts are futile as the car flips over. Essentially, this scene plays on the dread of being a driver who might unintentionally strike someone, a fear that could touch any driver. However, this accident can be easily prevented if one doesn’t behave recklessly and avoids standing in the middle of the road at night. In other words, always think before you act, and remember – it’s never smart to put yourself or others in danger by standing carelessly in the road.

In the sequel, I Know What You Did Last Summer, the characters make every effort to rescue him after hitting him with their car, but unfortunately, he was presumed dead in the first movie. Later, they accidentally throw him into the water. Since this seems like an accident, they could potentially escape any blame. However, one character admits, “What we did was terrible,” but I couldn’t help but think, “No, it wasn’t that bad!” The problem lies in the fact that the new film doesn’t effectively carry the weight of the original incident or enhance it in any meaningful way.

The opening scene of the movie jumps ahead by a year, showing the effects of guilt on our characters. However, the narrative appears to be indifferent towards these characters, as they move past the accident without much exploration or depth. Only brief suggestions are given about their post-accident lives, and unfortunately, these details lack intrigue. Initially, they seem ordinary, but upon closer inspection, there’s a lack of complexity in their portrayals.

Chase Sui Wonders, who starred in the Apple TV series The Studio, takes on the role of Ava, one of the main characters. Unfortunately, her character development is minimal, making her unremarkable. Madelyn Cline plays Danica and receives slightly more attention, with moments that evoke sympathy, but these instances are brief, and there’s little opportunity to delve deeper into their characters or their relationship.

In the movie, Danica receives a card saying “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” and her friends soon find themselves pursued by a fisherman with a hook. The film has both good moments and too many bad ones. Although this movie mostly handles its Gen Z slang well, it goes overboard with humor. Critics often point out that Marvel films frequently interrupt suspenseful scenes with one-liners or jokes. I believe this movie does this even more excessively than any Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film. Each time the story gets intense or emotional, the movie seems to feel an involuntary urge to lighten the mood with a questionable joke. It’s worth noting that Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, who co-wrote and directed this film, was also a writer on Thor: Love and Thunder.

Many people tend to mix up Kevin Williamson’s writing style, as he is often mistakenly associated with lighthearted work. However, his contributions extend beyond just comedic films; for instance, he wrote “Scream” (1996), a movie that blends humor with the horror genre conventions. The following year saw the release of “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” a film that, despite memorable lines like “What are you waiting for?”, is generally more serious and lacks extensive comedic elements. While it maintains an exciting atmosphere, the movie adopts a grave tone and avoids humor to a significant degree. In essence, the humor and self-referential aspects seen in “Scream” were incorporated into “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” giving the latter a similar feel. This film also includes witty dialogues and subtle jokes intended for movie enthusiasts, as well as a respectful nod to the original’s legacy throughout its entirety.

Is the humor in the jokes noticeable? Yes, it is, but incorporating comedy into a franchise primarily known for horror can be challenging. For instance, Final Destination: Bloodlines from this year demonstrated how to successfully deliver a long-awaited sequel with appropriate doses of humor, emotion, and sheer brutality. The audience in my theater was filled with laughter during the showing of Final Destination: Bloodlines. I Know What You Did Last Summer had some amusing moments that garnered a few chuckles, but overall, the humor didn’t resonate as strongly. This film lacks emotional depth, but it does offer its share of kills, as is typical for this series. The kill scenes are effective. There’s sufficient gore, although nothing particularly remarkable. While the opening penny sequence in Final Destination: Bloodlines feels immediately memorable, I Know What You Did Last Summer doesn’t stand out too much in terms of noteworthy moments.

Could we consider the horror genre as a potential direction for Robinson, given her successful track record with comedies like Someone Great and Do Revenge? However, it seems that this new venture into horror might not be her strongest suit. The jump scares in this film feel overused and lack originality. The “hand on shoulder with loud sound” jump scare feels particularly outdated and uninspired. It’s become a tired cliché that I hope we never see again. Furthermore, the film frequently employs sudden cuts to flashbacks accompanied by loud noises, but these moments don’t add any genuine horror or fear. Instead, they merely blast noise at the audience without providing any real scares. The film fails to create tension or suspense, instead relying on a few people getting killed and loud sounds to startle the viewer.

As a dedicated gamer, let me share my thoughts on this horror flick. Some cinematic decisions were as predictable as leveling up in a video game. The moment Freddie Prinze Jr.’s and Jennifer Love Hewitt’s characters appeared, it felt like hitting a checkpoint, triggering an anticipation for the applause.

When our protagonist, Ray, encountered the fresh faces of I Know What You Did Last Summer, it was reminiscent of assembling a team in an RPG, that iconic group shot evoking the Avengers.

Unfortunately, one aspect Robinson seems to have overlooked is the palpable sense of dread. The Fisherman from the first two IKWYDLS movies masterfully played with our nerves. His actions felt deeply psychological, instilling a chilling fear that he could strike at any moment but first making us question our protagonist’s sanity. He left eerie clues, like placing dead bodies where they could be seen and then swiftly removing them, only to have other characters doubt the protagonist’s account. The original film was filled with a gripping tension that made you feel uneasy.

However, this new movie seems to lack that same level of suspense. Instead, it’s just about someone murdering people. The Fisherman has been reduced to being no different from Ghostface. The overall atmosphere is so devoid of tension that there’s even a scene where two characters find time for a steamy rendezvous right in the middle of the movie.

Let’s discuss The Fisherman, or Ben Willis for short, for a moment. Though he seemingly perishes at the end of the first movie, he makes another appearance in a shocking climax. In I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, they revised that closing scene to suggest it was merely a frightening dream experienced by Julie. The sequel also concludes with The Fisherman seeming to expire, but the final shot hints he’s still alive and is about to pull Julie towards him before fading to black. However, the subsequent film doesn’t elaborate on what happened next; it leaves us guessing.

The movie seems to be intentionally avoiding reminding us that Julie appeared to die at the end of the second film, and Ben Willis was still alive then. It’s puzzling, though, that there’s no mention or allusion to what happened after the events in I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, including Ben’s fate and how they managed to escape from that predicament.

Throughout the film, there are numerous instances where the writing appears poorly constructed. For example, in one scene, Danica is stuck inside a room and can’t use her phone since she left it in her car outside. It seems implausible for any woman to leave her phone behind, especially when danger is present. This seems to be a creative choice by the screenwriter. In another scene, Teddy engages in combat with The Fisherman, knocking him to the ground. However, we then see Teddy limping away as The Fisherman gets back up. Given that Teddy has been portrayed as hot-headed and skilled in fighting, it seems uncharacteristic for him to retreat while he was clearly winning the fight. If Teddy had continued attacking, he could have defeated The Fisherman, taken their hook, and exposed their identity. However, this does not happen because if it did, the movie would conclude prematurely.

How have the performances been? They’ve been excellent. Cline and Wonders truly shine, and they bring their characters to vibrant life. Cline immerses herself flawlessly in this horror flick. It’s also delightful to witness Prinze and Hewitt return to these roles, and they both deliver admirably. Now, regarding the ending, I won’t give anything away, but IKWYDLS takes on a fresh take on Scream at this point. There’s a twist that comes as quite a shock. It’s a daring move that some fans will adore while others will despise. Unfortunately, it didn’t resonate with me. Still, I admire the courageous and imaginative decision this movie made, and I commend them for taking such a risk because not many films would dare to do so.

If you’re a fan of the I Know What You Did Last Summer series, you might want to give the new version a watch, but be aware that the third act could use some caution. It includes a mid-credits scene worth sticking around for and some enjoyable references to the original. However, there are other slasher films that surpass it in quality. Personally, I didn’t find myself invested when characters met their demise, but it does have its moments. In summary, it gets the job done, but nothing about it left me particularly impressed overall.

SCORE: 4/10

In my gaming experience, when I see a score of 4 from ComingSoon, it means the game’s not living up to expectations. The downsides overshadow the good parts, leaving me battling through more than enjoying the gameplay.

Disclosure: ComingSoon attended a press screening for our I Know What You Did Last Summer review.

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2025-07-16 19:11