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What are you waiting for? Are you ready for the 90s horror legacy characters to make a comeback in Jennifer Kaytin Robinson’s I Know What You Did Last Summer? While the film isn’t without flaws, it still delivers an enjoyable time. Taking a trip down memory lane, the film includes some pretty good Easter eggs and a decent amount of gore, but the new slasher’s script could have been better in fleshing out the new generation of characters.
I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025) Hooks You In With Nostalgia, But Fumbles the Kill
The story kicks off similarly to the 1997 original. A group of five friends: Ava (Chase Sui Wonders), Danica (Madelyn Cline), Teddy (Tyriq Withers), Stevie (Sarah Pidgeon), and Milo (Jonah Hauer-King), are involved in a fatal car accident on a winding road. Instead of taking accountability, they use their privilege and family money to cover it up, and vow to never speak of it again. But as we know, consequences always come back… usually with a hook. The killer, clad once again in a fisherman’s slicker and wielding a menacing hook (more on that later!), returns to Southport to exact revenge. As the group is picked off one by one, the survivors turn to the only two people who’ve faced something similar—Julie James (Jennifer Love Hewitt) and Ray Bronson (Freddie Prinze Jr.).
In this legacy sequel, the OG characters are truly what makes it a decent watch. Seeing Love Hewitt and Prinze Jr. back on screen is a nostalgic treat, Additionally, a few surprise cameos hit just the right note (keep watching after the first round of credits roll on screen). Unfortunately, the new cast is harder to root for. They come off as entitled, materialistic, and occasionally make eye-roll-worthy decisions. That said, standout performances from Chase Sui Wonders and Gabbriette Bechtel (as a rough-around-the-edges podcaster named Tyler) add energy and charisma to an otherwise a bit uneven ensemble.
The new generation of characters also make some questionable decisions while running from the killer. For example, if you’re bleeding and badly injured, why stand still in front of a killer, waiting to die? And when you’re left alone in a police interrogation room and the officer locks the door behind you—wouldn’t you notice that right away and raise hell? Then there’s the killer’s hook—oddly wielded in a way that may be dangerous to themselves more than to others. It’s a small thing, sure, but come on… if you’re going on a murder spree, wouldn’t you learn how to use your signature weapon properly? If noticed correctly, the hook was held right in only one scene. See if you can spot it.
When it comes to the pacing, unfortunately, the opening of the film is a bit slow, despite the deadly crash sequence that occurs. But once the second half kicks in, the pacing improves, and some genuinely surprising twists keep the tension alive. When it comes to kills, the sequel doesn’t hold back on gore. While it doesn’t reinvent the slasher wheel, some chase sequences are effectively brutal. Sometimes, all a slasher needs is a good chase scene.
In conclusion, I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025) is a solid but flawed summer slasher. There are some gems and also some fails. Manage your expectations, and you’ll likely still enjoy the ride. After all, who doesn’t love getting a little hooked?
Grade: C+
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I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025)
When five friends inadvertently cause a deadly car accident, they cover up their involvement and make a pact to keep it a secret rather than face the consequences. A year later, their past comes back to haunt them and they're forced to confront a horrifying truth: someone knows what they did last summer…and is hell-bent on revenge.
Release Date: July 18, 2025
Director: Jennifer Kaytin Robinson
Cast: Chase Sui Wonders , Freddie Prinze Jr. , Madelyn Cline
