I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025) - Film Review

      I Know What You Did Last Summer, 2025.

      Directed by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson.

      Starring Chase Sui Wonders, Madelyn Cline, Jonah Hauer-King, Tyriq Withers, Sarah Pidgeon, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Freddie Prinze Jr., Billy Campbell, Gabbriette, Austin Nichols, Joshua Orpin, Todd Giebenhain, Georgia Flood, Simone Annan, Nick Hardcastle, Nicole Chapman, Isaiah Mustafa, Dalia Rooni, Nick Farnell, and Luke Van Os.

      SYNOPSIS:

      A group of friends is haunted by a stalker who knows about a horrific event from their past.

      The cliché legacy sequel I Know What You Did Last Summer boldly features a character who adamantly claims that nostalgia is overrated. One might speculate that co-writer/director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson (who co-wrote the screenplay with Sam Lansky based on a story developed with Leah McKendrick, utilizing characters from Lois Duncan’s novel) is using this character to voice her views on the current state of cinema and the overwhelming number of reboots/sequels saturating theaters, although there is a contradiction because much of the film relies heavily on this very nostalgia.

      Reviving Jennifer Love Hewitt’s Julie James, a survivor of the 1997 Southport massacre, seems like a chance to delve into the lasting trauma from such slasher events. However, the narrative ultimately follows a routine path, all while pretending to critique nostalgia. At times, it presents dream sequences merely to satisfy fan desires, which is acceptable, yet that doesn’t make them essential or meaningful. At best, it ends up feeling tedious.

      Without giving too much away, if the original I Know What You Did Last Summer, penned by Kevin Williamson before his Scream script was turned into a film, functioned more like a traditional slasher and the sequel served as a genre deconstruction, then any effort to present self-awareness and critique this series ends up becoming similar to that other franchise. This reboot not only draws from the Scream template while essentially replicating the original’s basic plot, but it also assimilates ideas from other legacy sequels. The differences between these franchises have faded, with one featuring a killer in a fisherman’s slicker wielding a hook, while the other has a masked figure with a knife.

      Furthermore, I Know What You Did Last Summer attempts to cater to various audience expectations with its new cast of characters—who are picked off one by one by a serial killer a year after they try to escape accountability for a freak accident—comprising both vain foolishness and more sensible individuals, creating a tonal dissonance. The film sometimes encourages viewers to empathize with its shallow characters, when perhaps emphasizing their unlikability and self-centered behavior would have been a better choice. Instead, the perspective often shifts to a more likable character.

      At nearly two hours long (which includes a mid-credits scene setting up a sequel, as Sony seems to be banking on high demand for this franchise), it feels as though Jennifer Kaytin Robinson lacks a clear vision for rebooting this series beyond catering to fans. This in itself doesn’t contribute to a strong movie and certainly leads to a creatively deficient offering.

      Various character details and concepts are introduced, such as a cult leader and a true crime horror podcaster arriving suspiciously on the 27th anniversary of the initial killing spree to investigate, but most of these elements lead nowhere. In some cases, they are abandoned almost as soon as they appear. It seems the film is trying hard to shift viewer expectations before culminating in a resolution that most will likely predict. This isn’t to suggest the filmmakers should be criticized for this aspect; creating a legacy sequel seems pointless if it is going to present the same revelations.

      While audiences may not seek complex character development, it’s worth noting how carelessly this sequel approaches characterization. Danica Richards (Madelyn Cline) embodies the archetypal blonde airhead: superficial and materialistic, engaged to two different fiancés during the prologue and main narrative. At one celebratory moment, a joyride with friends leads to reckless behavior that results in a fatal accident involving another driver. They form a pact to never discuss the incident again (one member has connections to the local police chief who can make it disappear), effectively pressuring one of the group.

      Danica’s comical reactions to the deaths occurring around her often trivialize the gravity of the situations, beginning with her fiancé, Wyatt (Joshua Orpin). The narrative then primarily focuses on her bisexual friend, Ava Brucks (Chase Sui Wonders), who takes the lead in investigating. Before anyone is killed, they speculate that it’s vengeful blackmail from her ex-fiancé, Teddy (Tyriq Withers), who is also self-absorbed. Ava’s friend, Milo (Jonah Hauer-King), and Stevie (Sarah P