I Know What You Did Last Summer was a sleeper hit in 1997. Admittedly, I wasn’t the biggest fan. The characters were stupid even by slasher standards, the violence felt restrained despite the R rating, and on the heels of Scream’s meta commentary, it didn’t offer anything new. I’ll give the film credit for two things, however. 1) It had a killer title, only to ironically inspire one of the worst sequel titles ever: I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, which should’ve been called I Know What You Did Two Summers Ago. 2) It had a fun premise, centering on a group of young adults being hunted down a year after a hit-and-run accident.
This 2025 legacy sequel has the same title and premise, which should result in the same exact movie. In an unlikely twist, Jennifer Kaytin Robinson’s film is a lot more fun than its predecessor. Where the original took itself too seriously, Robinson and co-writer Sam Lansky seemly know this is all ridiculous. They lean into this with a sense of humor, gore that earns the R rating, and risks that pay off… at least for me. Much like Superman’s parents in James Gunn’s film, Robinson toys with the franchise’s lore in ways that may alienate some diehard fans. Personally, though, I had a ball with the twists and turns, as ludicrous as they might be.
Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. are back, although for the most part, I Know What You Did Last Summer lets the new cast do the heavy lifting. The true lead is Chase Sui Wonders from The Studio as Ava, who Sony refreshingly dared to depict as openly bisexual. While Ava has a couple of sexual partners, the real love story is between her and her blonde bestie Danica, played by Madelyn Cline of The Outer Banks. Some others in their friend group are either underdeveloped or douchey to the point that you want to get them get stabbed. Still, the performances are all strong, with Sarah Pidgeon being another standout.
For all the newcomers, the film certainly isn’t without fan service. At least two cameos are sure to trigger some applause. Despite the nostalgia bait, the filmmakers view I Know What You Did Last Summer through a fresh, self-aware lens, bringing the material into the 21st century. You can tell that they learned a thing or two from the recent Scream sequels. In fact, this occasionally feels more like a Scream movie with convoluted surprises and cheeky in-jokes. There’s a particular line about the Bahamas that provides a deep-cut giggle.
Those looking for a complete reinvention of the slasher genre won’t find it here. The film embraces numerous clichés, including a character who’s such an obvious red herring that it’s laughable. That said, you get the sense that this movie was supposed to be funny. It never becomes a straight-up spoof like Scary Movie, one of the first direct parodies of I Know What You Did Last Summer. Yet, this legacy sequel is willing to laugh at itself, and everyone is in on the joke. It took 28 summers, but as someone who never expected to recommend one of these movies, consider me hooked now.