Movie Review: ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’

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Review by Lauryn Angel

I may have rolled my eyes when I heard that I Know What You Did Last Summer was getting a reboot. To be fair, I didn’t see the first movie when it came out in 1997; instead, I binged the series during lockdown, during which they provided quite a bit of entertainment. They were definitely products of their time, with the likes of Jennifer Love Hewitt, Freddie Prinz Jr., Sarah Michelle Gellar, and even Brandy Norwood and Mekhi Phifer being chased by a serial killer in a fisherman’s slicker, using a hook as a weapon. They’re a fun watch for 90s nostalgia, but does this franchise really need to be revisited?

I admit that I was still asking myself this question for the first act of the movie. This time around, the friend group comes together to celebrate the engagement of Danica (Madelyn Kelly) and Teddy (Tyriq Withers). Ada (Chase Sui Wonders) and Milo (Jonah Hauer-King) are back from college for the celebration, and they run into old friend Stevie (Sarah Pidgeon), who was stuck in South Port when her college dreams were cut short by her father’s indiscretions. They have an alcohol and drug-fueled celebration which culminates in Teddy’s stupid behavior causing an accident. And, as in the original movie, the group swears to cover up their involvement in the accident.

At this point, I have to admit that I didn’t really like any of the characters in this movie. Even Ada, who I venture to guess we’re supposed to sympathize with, since she’s the only one who wanted to do the right thing and wait for the police to arrive at the scene of the accident to make a witness report. But I even found her annoying, making me question if I’ve finally gotten too old for slasher films.

When the group comes back a year later for Danica’s engagement party for her new fiancée – the relationship with Teddy didn’t survive the events of the previous summer – the group has to reap the consequences of their actions. It’s when the killings start that the nature of the film began to reveal itself. Writer/Director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson and her co-writers Leah McKendrick and Sam Lansky begin to lovingly poke fun at the original films as well as several slasher movie tropes, as well as several homages. For example, the mayor’s insistence that there is no serial killer in order to preserve the town’s reputation as a tourist attraction and the constant gaslighting of the female characters.

The film even includes appearances from past stars of the franchise. Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. reprise their roles and Julie Janes and Ray Bronson, respectively, and there are some other cameos that elevate the nostalgia factor while simultaneously poking fun at it.

If you’ve already seen the blockbusters and are impatiently waiting for The Fantastic Four: The First Steps next week, the new I Know What You Did Last Summer is a fun thriller that has a high body count, but very little gore and is well worth checking out!