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

Nearly three decades ago, 90s slashers were all the rage in the aftermath of Scream. One of the most notable—and a personal favorite of mine—was 1997 gem, I Know What You Did Last Summer, also penned by Scream’s Kevin Williamson. A fast-tracked, hugely underrated campy sequel followed in 1998’s I Still Know What You Did Last Summer. Both films starred some of the hottest talent at the time. There was also a terribly-edited third installment in 2006 that went straight to DVD titled I’ll Always Know What You Did Last Summer that transformed The Fisherman into a zombie ghost, but the less said about that one the better. For years, fans have clamored for a sequel that would see Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. return to their respective roles of Julie James and Ray Bronson. Finally, Do Revenge director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson answers Julie’s feral scream: “what are you waiting for?” It turns out, Robinson and crew were simply waiting for a story worthy of telling in modern times, one that feels relevant and still somehow bone-chilling. Leaning into moral quandaries and character-first drama, I Know What You Did Last Summer brings The Fisherman back in a bold way that goes for the jugular with its big narrative hook-swings.  

Perhaps you already know the setup, or at least the general conceit of Lois Duncan’s novel: a group of friends accidentally cause a murder. A year later, someone starts sending them threatening letters indicating that—what else—they know what happened last summer. As with the previous movies, this one also is set on the 4th of July, making it a future addition to repeat viewings whenever that holiday rolls around. Indeed, an accident does occur early on, at seemingly the same “Reaper’s Curve” where Julie, Ray, Helen, and Barry hit Ben Willis with their car. This time, a group of five friends parked for a scenic view of Southport’s fireworks cause a vehicle to swerve off the cliff. Rather than try to help the unfortunate victim, they leave the car behind. Teddy (Tyriq Withers), whose father essentially owns the town, quickly covers things up with the help of the local police. But secrets can only stay buried for so long…

Before leaping ahead one year, I Know What You Did Last Summer does a nice job establishing who these characters are, along with their interpersonal relationships. The whole crew has come back to Southport to attend ditzy Danica (Madelyn Cline) and lovable douche Teddy’s engagement party. Milo (Jonah Hauer-King) and Ava (Chase Sui Wonders) have the potential to rekindle their romance, though he has a fancy political gig and she is only briefly back from college. Even Stevie (Sarah Pidgeon), once close with the crew, remains in town, roped along for a group hang to watch the fireworks. Teddy has just enough time to drop lines lifted directly from Nicole Kidman’s AMC ad before the car quite literally flies off the rails to change their lives forever.

The setup may be familiar, but the structure works so well for a reason. It’s a tried and true formula that gives us a window into two incredibly different points in these characters’ lives. When we regroup a year later, everything feels different. The entire crew has splintered. Picking up here is significant—trauma has shattered their promising futures and left only remnants of what came before. Robinson and co-writer Sam Lansky understand that the friend group needs to come before the horror. Sure, this is a slasher, so plenty of killing will occur. But why rush it? The original film didn’t even have its first major death until fourty minutes deep, courtesy of a reshoot, whilst I Still Know showed little restraint, and started the slaughter only twenty minutes in. This I Know meets somewhere in the middle, allowing for the group to receive the titular letter but leaving minimal room for them to even assess whether or not they may be threatened. There can be no mistaking—this Fisherman means business, and comes with a mean streak unafraid to make his victims suffer before meeting their bitter end. 

The Fisherman leaves a body count much closer to the one in the sequel, making each kill matter with deadly precision. His cold murders are crimes of passion, underlined with a ferocious brutality. Of course, he uses his trademark hook plenty of times, but there is a variety that keeps things from ever growing stale. This killer wants people to take notice, not trying to fly under the radar as he did a bit in 1997. That means splashier, headline-grabbing murders that Southport simply cannot sweep under the rug. Robinson never forgets that the kills are half the reason many audience members flock to horror so religiously—she leans into their savagery, yet still leaves a tastefulness so that the especially gnarly moments can stand out. While we do not exactly get a chase scene on the same level as Sarah Michelle Gellar’s horror hall of fame through Shivers department store, The Fisherman’s relentless pursuit allows for plenty of close calls and near death experiences. Do not go in expecting to see the next Helen, but one scene in particular that is a clear tribute still manages to capture a similar tone.

As for how the legacy characters tie into the greater whole, both Julie and Ray majorly figure into the storyline. We catch up on both characters within the film’s narrative, but the divorcees now work as a professor and own a bar in Southport, respectively. The impact Ben Willis’s murder spree has had on both cannot be understated. As our new set of characters inch closer to the truth, they turn to the town’s lore for answers. For her part, Jennifer Love Hewitt brings Julie to life once more with her signature energy. As with Neve Campbell and Jamie Lee Curtis before her, Hewitt’s Julie is a total badass final girl that gets plenty of juicy dialogue to sink her teeth into. While we revisit a couple of Julie’s past iconic lines, there’s a self-awareness to her character now that was a welcome addition. For Ray, Prinze Jr. presents a hardened exterior, willing to fight for what he believes when tragedy returns to their quiet fishing town. Though he shares few scenes with Julie, each time the duo are onscreen feels like we are experiencing an exciting reunion—and a once in a lifetime opportunity at revisiting a bygone era of 90s greatness.

The remaining characters serve to fill out the roster of potential suspects, helping the title lean more into a whodunnit element that the original accomplished so well. While it might seem obvious now that Ben Willis was initially behind it all, Williamson has a penchant for making anyone a suspect. The new script does a great job at this too, calling into question potential motivations for multiple people. Joshua Orpin as Wyatt gets to play one of the more humorous tertiary players, chugging alcohol as he cleans up after a party. Teddy’s wealthy father with a real estate empire (Billy Campbell), a creepy pastor with a shady past (Austin Nichols), and a sassy, sexually ambiguous podcaster (Gabbriette) are especially notable. Gabbriette’s Tyler, working on a podcast episode on the 1997 murders, makes for a perfect entryway into revisiting iconic locations and themes from the past. We get to return to Shivers Department Store, visit the graves of fallen friends, and even see a Croaker Queen float. Robinson’s approach never feels to just be checking off boxes of homage, but rather organically tie in moments that could feel like mere fan service in lesser hands. This extends down to the overall look of the film. With cinematography from Elisha Christian, the framing of scenes and even the appearance of the Fisherman within them comes in loving tribute to the past. Chanda Dancy’s riveting score ratchets up the thrilling vibes. Keep an eye out for plenty of Easter Eggs and countless surprises as the film barrels towards a shocking climax that will no doubt divide the fandom with its risky twists.

Perhaps the most important of the ensemble are the ones given the most screentime and development—our five-friend group builds as a unit, leaning on one another as the more macabre twists and turns emerge. Somehow, we grow to care about each of them. So often horror can accidentally fall into caricature, carving out people into cookie cutter boxes before they are unceremoniously dispatched. None of these friends fall into that pattern. Teddy becomes a lovable teddy bear when he could have just been a Barry 2.0. No doubt much of this can be attributed to Withers’s nuanced performance as he stays protective over Danica for the entire film. Likewise, Jonah Hauer-King’s Milo has a total good-guy vibe that endears himself to the viewer right away. But the three women of the cast are the best written. Danica in particular undergoes enormous growth while remaining firmly in character for all of it. As she mourns her bald spot and ponders continuing a skincare routine in the wake of mass murder, we fall in love with Danica and her offbeat personality. In contrast, Ava is much more even-tempered, a realist who pursues Julie when she cannot think of any other solution. Pidgeon gets less to do as Stevie in the beginning, but becomes a standout the deeper we get into the unfolding story.

I Know What You Did Last Summer always leaves times for friendship bonding and quieter moments among the horrific murders and jarring jump scares. By folding trauma into the equation, there’s an evolution for Julie James. In I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, she was haunted by the spectre of Ben Willis, and still plagued by nightmares. The horrible guilt she carries from the unspeakable deed never goes away. The horrors endured by her character—and subsequently, those brought upon this fresh set of young faces—will last a lifetime. There’s no easy escape from this kind of event. Ultimately, I Know What You Did Last Summer is a refreshing delight—a powerful, darkly entertaining slasher that pays loving reference to the originals. It doesn’t just bring back its legacy stars, it gives them purpose and vitality. Jennifer Kaytin Robinson truly gels with the DNA of twisted humor and horrifying kills. Mean and lean, this is one of the year’s best films, horror or otherwise. Side note: do not miss the scene during the credits, a true game changer!

Get hooked on slasher mayhem with I Know What You Did Last Summer, harpooning into theaters on Friday, July 18th.