In 2025, a continuation of the series “I Know What You Did Last Summer” was released in theaters, and of course, your boy had to go and see it. I didn’t. Don’t get me wrong, I wanted to, but I just had life in general hitting me fast. It is now streaming, and I was able to catch up with the film, and wanted to review it, but instead of going through plot points and scenarios, I will be looking at it from a few points of view, and then giving a final opinion. Consider this an essay of some kind, or an exercise in writing, as I usually like to think of this blog as, because why not? It’s my blog.
How far does nostalgia get you? In 2025, nostalgia for all sorts of things is enormous. The movie does a good job of bringing us back to the original film, without overcomplicating things or making a parody of itself. Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. reprise their roles, but they are older this time (for obvious reasons) and are thrown into the mix. The film balances the nostalgia nicely here, and the group that gets involved in the accident that sends them on a path of fear needs their help. I liked how the film pushes them into the mix, without heavy hands, and there is a bit of reluctance from Julie, whereas Ray jumps into the hero category by warning the city of the looming violence. There’s also a throwback dream sequence to Buffy, Sarah Michelle Gellar, in which she is a ghost. It sharply takes curves here, and while there is nostalgia at stake, it doesn’t loom on it too much, which is appreciated for sure.
“I Know What You Did Last Summer” doesn’t reinvent the wheel. It doesn’t change the ideas of the past, and doesn’t even go too far away from what you may expect from the movie’s plot points. The plot hinges on the same idea, a car crash, and the fallout of guilt that the characters feel. The film focuses on the guilt, the pact of silence, and the suspense of being discovered by a hidden villain. The masked villain hunts them down one by one, and seems almost super natural in scope, albeit vulnerable to some extent. The group fights back in several moments, and the villain vanishes when they do, but that doesn’t stop the gore and violence from being turned up.
To get to the original, you have to go to the 90s and revisit the movie. However, in 2025, the field of horror has evolved. The genre and setting are similar, but the installment has updated visuals, social media elements, and characters that are sometimes a little more savvy. There are rules here, followed, with the derivative nature of the final girl, the masked killer, the hook, and everything you would expect from a follow-up to the movie. Though it is supposed to stand on its own merit, there is still a sense of fellowship to the rules of the horror genre in place.
While this movie has a sense of purpose, it moves fast. For instance, there is self-awareness regarding the moving parts. The jump scares are timed nicely, but it’s a film that highlights the dread of secrets and haunting from a powerful villain, although revealed with a callous brush if you really think about it. There is a Red Herring, but I won’t spoil the plot.
“I Know What You Did Last Summer” serves as a nice reimagining, a continuation of the series, without falling short of my expectations. I liked the use of nostalgia, the switch-hitting mechanism of the villain, and the overall reach of a sequel to come. It’s a solid horror movie with enough to entice and delivers on the premise, without reinventing the sequel, reboot, or remake wheel. It’s a solid outing, and heck, it’s streaming for those who are into that. Physical media is out there, and if you click on some link I throw around here, you can help the blog; otherwise, get some popcorn and enjoy this one.
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