Directed by: Sam Lansky & Jennifer Kaytin Robinson
Written by: Jennifer Kaytin Robinson
Starring: Madelyn Cline, Chase Sui Wonders, Jonah Hauer-King, Tyriq Withers, Sarah Pidgeon
Rating: [2.5/5]
When a certain trend tends to garner positive results, it only makes sense that other parties in the same industry would follow suit. No need to reinvent the wheel. The horror genre has found financial success in the legacy sequels, where they take a film that debuted years ago and craft a film that serves as both a story with new characters within the universe and one that allows the older characters to reprise their roles. As history demonstrated, the quality of the original film likely indicates the success of its newer iteration, and it holds true for I Know What You Did Last Summer.
On a summer night, a group of friends look to see some fireworks and hang out by a cliffside. When their carelessness on the road causes an incoming driver to swerve off of the cliff. Fearing the repercussions of their actions, they all swear to deny the events of the night and cover up what transpired. A year later at Danica’s (Madelyn Cline) engagement party, she receives communication that someone knows what occurred last summer as a hooded individual begins picking them off one by one.
While not a fan of the original 1997 film, I did not have high expectations heading into my viewing experience of I Know What You Did Last Summer. We were not necessarily building off of some rich lore that demanded more exploration. The producers simply wanted to follow in the footsteps of the success of 2022’s Scream, which found both critical and commercial success. As mentioned in my first paragraph, however, that legacy sequel mined material from one of the best slasher films the genre has ever produced. This particular film had to build off of an undoubtedly popular slasher but one of middling quality. Therefore, it comes as no surprise this iteration equally struggles to muster anything truly praiseworthy.
If anyone has seen the original film, they know the formula that this one will follow. We have the inciting event where everyone swears to secrecy to each other. They receive the notice of someone having knowledge of what took place last summer, and a hooded individual begins to hunt them down. Where the film would seek to differentiate itself would appear in the deaths and finding creative ways to kill off these characters. We know immediately which one of them will be sacrificed for the sake of the narrative and our entertainment. That component of the film remains predictable, but this film does not truly succeed in presenting anything fun in the kills category. Therefore, we have a predictable story and uninventive kills, which begs the question of what exactly this film offers.
Well, one area I did not mind was the cast assembled to bring the story to life. The 90s film brought together a bunch of rising stars that made themselves bigger following their portrayals. We could see a repeat here as we look back years from now, and we’re impressed with the talent here and how they have grown. Madelyn Cline, Chase Sui Wonders, Jonah Hauer-King, Tyriq Withers, and Sarah Pidgeon have begun making a name for themselves through other television and film projects. They each play the typical roles any slasher calls for. We have the final girl, the nice guy, the jock, and the vapid but pretty girl. They each step into their role and, at the very least, do their part. None of these actors will look back on their role in this film and acknowledge it as the best work of their career, but they all do a competent job at the very least.
The more this review expounds upon this film, the more it proves I Know What You Did Last Summer feels like a complete repeat of its predecessor. It brings together a young cast that has begun to establish itself and will most likely gain in notoriety following this film, but all in service of a fairly lackluster production. At the very least we know this film will not build a cult following that will somehow attempt to justify another legacy sequel. As average as a slasher can get, but not completely surprising, given the quality of the film that preceded it.
Films with Josh 
