There’s just something about the Fourth of July in Southport, North Carolina. Nearly thirty years after the events of I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997), a new group of young adults makes a drastic mistake on the winding roads of Southport and causes a truck to swerve and crash through the guardrails to the rocky ocean below. And like the original four of the first film, the five friends agree to keep the accident a secret. And they succeed, at least for a year. Then a masked man in a slicker appears to slice them up one by one in an act of bloody vengeance.
The 2025 revival of I Know What You Did Last Summer does a nice job balancing a tribute to its slasher roots with an update for a Gen Z audience. Directed by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, the film combines the nostalgia of ’90s horror with a modern twist, featuring returning franchise favorites Jennifer Love Hewitt (Julie) and Freddie Prinze Jr. (Ray), alongside a new core cast led by Madelyn Cline and Chase Sui Wonders.
Hewitt and Prinze Jr. slip back into their roles effortlessly, adding emotional weight and familiarity to a plot that feels more like a reboot than a direct sequel. However, their screen time is more limited than many fans might hope, and the unexplained hostility between them comes off as a narrative shortcut rather than genuine character development, especially as it sets the stage for the film’s conclusion.
Similar to Scream 5, this legacy sequel shifts its focus to a new group of friends, each harboring their own secrets. The standout performances are from Madelyn Cline and Chase Sui Wonders, who play BFFs Danica and Ava. They lead the younger cast with confidence and enough chemistry to keep the film enjoyable even when the script stumbles. Their dynamic feels like a direct tribute to Julie and Helen Shivers (RIP), adding heart to the horror.
Cline’s Danica is a total scene-stealer. She’s funny, flirty, and entirely aware of the genre she’s in, but it never feels like parody. In contrast, Wonders plays her role with sincerity, grounding the story and providing it with much-needed emotional resonance. However, beyond Danica and Ava, most of the supporting cast falls into tired archetypes, and although their deaths are flashy, they lack emotional punch because the characters themselves aren’t developed enough.
In terms of actual horror, Robinson doesn’t completely reinvent the genre, but she puts a stylish spin on it. The cinematography is polished, the kills are inventive and satisfyingly gruesome, and the pacing, especially in the first half, is tight enough to keep audiences engaged.
One thing I loved about the movie was that it embraces the classic slasher formula while incorporating a modern, self-aware twist. It knows precisely what kind of movie it aims to be, offering plenty of camp and satire while still delivering real tension when needed. The film clearly loves its genre and isn’t afraid to have fun with it, blending ’90s slasher nostalgia with updated humor and sharper dialogue.
But not everything works in this film. The killer’s motive feels weak, and many of the significant twists appear rushed or poorly executed. For a story centered around secrets and guilt, it seems disinterested in exploring these themes in a meaningful way. While the narrative teases emotional depth, it never fully commits to it.
The third act is particularly chaotic to me, bombarding the audience with a flurry of twists and reveals in quick succession. It’s a lot to unpack, and frankly, not all of it makes sense. Although the ending clearly leaves room for a sequel, it does so at the expense of providing a satisfying conclusion to this story. It seems designed to shock more than to explain, which was disappointing.
Despite its shortcomings, I Know What You Did Last Summer remains a fun, blood-soaked ride. It may not be original in any sense, but that doesn’t matter. The film delivers on its promise of a slick, slightly campy slasher with nostalgic throwbacks, solid scares, and notable performances from its new leads.
Not every kill lands, and not every twist is coherent, but there’s enough humor, heart, and horror to make it a worthwhile watch, especially if you’re a fan of the original.
