How does a slasher film build upon its legacy if it’s attached to a more iconic sibling franchise? The 1997 original, “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” was written by Kevin Williamson, who also penned 1996’s “Scream.” While the film is somewhat based on the 1973 novel of the same name written by Lois Duncan, the similarities between IKWYDLS with a mysterious antagonist with an identifiable weapon and method of communication, a cast full of up-and-coming young stars, and, lest we forget, a notable “catch phrase”- all set in a small town.
The requels of both the “Scream” and the latest “I Know What You Did Last Summer” films were facing the same pop culture headwinds. The “Scary Movie” franchise had spoofed both, and instances of the slasher DNA that resides in both have been duplicated throughout the years. Twenty-eight years later, director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson is tasked with striking a balance between nostalgia and freshness with a new installment.
“I Know What You Did Last Summer” / Photo Credit: Sony Pictures
An immediate problem arises when you realize there’s not much of a hook for the film to hang its tension on other than in the hands of “The Fisherman.” It’s as if the film was thwarted again by its predecessor. Whereas 2022’s “Scream” (or “Scream 5) was able to introduce a new “core four” of characters, updating and poking fun at its lore, and utilizing the legacy protagonist to push the franchise forward.
It feels like the 2025 version of “I Know What You Did Last Summer” wants to be of service to those principles. Yet, it elects to exact much of the same who-dunnit scenario live from the beautiful town of Southport (which has now become the “Hamptons of the South” in present day) – only this time the incident a little more muddled morally. In the original 1997 film, there was tension in how the supposed accident happened. Dumb kids on a high-speed joyride who happen to run over somebody. Keeping that a secret carried a heavy emotional weight. (They knowingly dumped the body after). When paired with a relentless killer out for revenge, it made for a good formula that sold the comeuppance ahead.
The new film dials down that tension. The viewers are introduced to a new cohort of young and lavish young people from Southport. Main protagonist Ava (Chase Sui Wonders) comes back into town to celebrate her best friend Danica’s (Madelyn Cline) engagement to Teddy (Tyriq Withers). While at the party, she meets her will-they, won’t they interest Milo (Jonah Hauer-King). While this long-time group of friends are reminiscing, they bring back ostracized friend Stevie (Sarah Pidgeon) into the fold as they drive up Reaper’s Curve to get the best view of the 4th of July fireworks.
“I Know What You Did Last Summer” / Photo Credit: Sony Pictures
For all its worth, the group doesn’t end up hitting and killing someone accidentally with a head-on collision. Instead, a car avoids Teddy while he’s goofing off in the middle of the road and slams into a railing. Before it plunges into the sea, the group does make a concerted effort to help the victim. Once all is lost, they reluctantly agree not to reveal the person’s situation and make a pact not to say anything. Don’t worry, Teddy’s ultrawealthy real estate developer father, Grant (Billy Campell) will clean things up.
One year later, Ava finds herself returning to Southport, arriving at Danica’s bridal shower with a completely different guy (apparently, Danica and Teddy were on the outs after a while). But it’s at this event that Danica receives a note with the dreaded words, hinting that someone out there knows what happens. To Robinson and co-writer Sam Lansky’s credit, they do try to introduce some weighty themes into this story. While it’s not new, there’s an emphasis on trauma and how it informs the character’s motivations going forward. This is more present within Sui Wonders’ Ava, the person who, at a glance, is more deeply affected by that night. There’s a specific way that manifests, which isn’t particularly developed, because the film has so many themes it wanted to touch on.
Ultimately, this is a slasher film, and many of the gory sequences pay slight homage to the original films or tweak conventional setups to make them scarier. At times, they pay off, but “I Know What You Did Last Summer” changes speeds so much that it dilutes any sense of urgency. This is not to mention that only certain characters feel the need to uncover who is hunting them down. It’s disjointing at times.
An interesting subplot, which almost gets pushed to the back as the third act kicks into high gear, concerns the town’s history. Besides the fact that there is an on-the-nose true crime podcaster (Gabbrielle Bechtel) who appears in the early part of the film. At the behest of Grant and the ever-helpful fictional Southport police department, there’s a concerted effort to sweep the town’s previous and unfolding murder history under the rug. There’s money to make after all.
In that spirit of history (and fan service), the characters of Julie James (Jennifer Love Hewitt) and Ray Bronson (Freddie Prinze Jr.) are brought back into the fold. Julie is committed to leaving the life of Seaport behind her. Ray has come back to the town and lives there after a complete fallout with Julie. Besides the play of being haunted by the previous Fisherman killer, their inclusion as well as the plot concerning what the town of Seaport is known for could have pushed this film into another territory.
“I Know What You Did Last Summer” feels as though it’s screaming to make room for it in the pantheon of late 90s horror franchises. Yet, the 2025 installment doesn’t clear the hurdle of making the case of why the legacy matters and definitively saying it should continue.
