I Know What You Did Last Summer [Film Review]

I Know What You Did Last Summer
Released: July 17, 2025

Director: Jennifer Kaytin Robinson
Starring: Madelyn Cline, Chase Sui Wonders, Jonah Hauer-King, Tyriq Withers, Sarah Pidgeon, Billy Campbell, Gabbriette Bechtel, Austin Nichols, Freddie Prinze Jr. and Jennifer Love Hewitt.

I know what you're thinking... another sequel/reboot of some old daggy slasher from the 90s is getting revived and they're about to kill off a bunch of fresh young actors and cash in on the nostalgia craze. To which I'd say, you're not entirely wrong, but this one actually lives up to expectations and, in doing so, has surpassed the original (which wasn't very hard).

Let me explain... spoiler free!

The sleepy town of Southport in North Carolina has moved on from the 1997 massacre and all but wiped it's history from the internet, in the hopes of not staining the town in a darker shade of blood red.

A new cast of bodies... I mean victims... I mean Gen Z young adults have celebrated the engagement of Danica Richards (Madelyn Cline) and Teddy (Tyriq Withers), and are back in Southport after graduation eight years prior sent them on vastly different paths. With the old gang back together - including Ava (Chase Sui Wonders), Milo (Jonah Hauer-King) and a very crowbarred in "former" addition to the group, Stevie (Sarah Pidgeon), the fivesome decide to take a drive to watch the July 4th fireworks from the cliff tops like old times and, well, you can guess where this is going can't you.

When a game of chicken with oncoming cars results in one crashing off the side of the adjacent cliff - with a very much alive person trapped inside - much like the original, the fivesome evaluate the situation and agree to keep what happened a secret; calling upon Teddy's real estate developer dad, Grant Spencer (Billy Campbell), to help keep their names clean.

One year passes and we're met with Ava flying back into Southport following a raunchy mid-flight romp with horror podcaster Tyler Trevino (Gabbriette Bechtel) who just so happens to be obsessed with the 1997 massacre and wants to make an episode all about it. Ava reunites with Milo and the pair drop Tyler off somewhere in town before heading to Danica's bridal shower with new fiancé Wyatt (Joshua Orpin) where the group have all reunited with the exception of Teddy... the former lovers split post-killing that person by "accident".

As the bride-to-be opens gifts in the most cringe display of modern social media flexing, an unmarked letter with the words I Know What You Did Last Summer sends Danica spiralling. The group assume jilted ex-lover Teddy is behind the sick joke and confront him, only to realise he's innocent.

And cue Drowning Pool's song 'Bodies' right about here...

When a hook-wielding, slicker suited fisherman starts brutally claiming lives one by one, the friends struggle to pinpoint who could be behind the slayings as the town's elders do their best to turn a blind eye and cover up the killings (to avoid further disruptions to Southport's annual July 4th tourism). Ava heads out of town to seek guidance from previous survivor Julie James (Jennifer Love Hewitt) while the rest of the team link up with Julie's ex-husband Ray Bronson (Freddie Prinze Jr.) following a heated town debate about the chaos.

With the ante upped and the body count much MUCH higher than the original, this new-age slasher and its intertwined connection to the first film keeps you on the edge of your seat guessing who could be behind it all. The chase scenes are glorious, the cameos are *chef's kiss*, the slayings are superb and the call backs are actually linked to the integral story, rather than simply being a subtle nod for nostalgia cash grabbing.

For some, the original I Know What You Did Last Summer was considered the cheaper version of Scream in the late 90s; and after being made a mockery of in Scary Movie, it's been difficult as a fan to go back and rewatch it without laughing at plot holes and the utter confusion surrounding the reason why the OGs were stalked by the killer fisherman in the first place.

This time around - in what is essentially a rebooted sequel - all plot points are carefully thought out and it's legacy stars aren't included for the sake of a cheesy throwback, but are rather key figures to the new exciting story. It genuinely feels like a continuation of the first outing and despite the three decade gap between, it flows smoother than anticipated.

While previously released legacy sequels have flopped miserably - Halloween Kills/Ends, The Exorcist: Believer and Texas Chainsaw Massacre - I Know What You Did Last Summer stands tall with it's sharp hook stuck firmly in your skull as it manages to outshine the original - big call I know, but it doesn't take much when you go back and revisit it almost 30 years later.

Where most slashers are seen as nothing more than whodunit, carnage candy for twisted souls, this new entry is a reflection and metaphor for addressing internalised trauma and not keeping it secret... especially for us blokes. The female leads steal the show in every scene and despite HATING Danica (Madelyn Cline) from the second she was on screen, her character development alone swayed my opinion by the film's twisted third act, which loses a point as it felt like it just went on... and on.... and on...

However, you should totally stick around for the glorious mid-credit scene that's certainly going to fire up the OG fans yet again!

I Know What You Did Last Summer ticks all the bloodied boxes, corrects errors of the past and gives its legacy characters the ending they deserve. I left the cinema stating this version was better than the original and after sleeping on it - I still feel the same way.

So strap in and return to Southport for another brutal encounter with one of the horror genre's most glorified serial killers... and kudos to Sony Pictures Releasing for hosting the QLD premiere in Southport on the Gold Coast. A+ for attention to detail.

Rating: 4/5
Review by Paul 'Browny' Brown@brownypaul

I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER is in Australian cinemas now.