Almost thirty years after the coastal fishing town of Southport, North Carolina was terrorized by a hook-wielding killer, a new assailant has donned the ominous fisherman slicker to seek revenge on a fresh group of guilty youths, and begins to pick them off one by one. I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025) has officially received the legacy sequel treatment, hot off the success of the likes of Halloween (2018) and Scream (2022). Like those films, I Know What You Did is chock full of nostalgia, Gen Z-targeted humor, and a large raise in its body count compared to the original film of the same name. What makes the sequel truly special, however, is the twists and turns it isn’t afraid to take to keep audiences guessing. Whether boasting its variety of kills, modern soundtrack, or its sometimes subtle, sometimes not, homages to the original film, I Know What You Did has plenty in store for genre fans and newcomers alike.
Set against a well-dressed, coastal-inspired production design drenched in muted and pastel colors, IKWYDLS follows a group of young adults after they experience a premise all too familiar–they inadvertently cause the vehicular death of a stranger while horsing around intoxicated on a highway. A year later, they receive a threatening note revealing the worst: someone knows what they did. Soon, the friends are attacked, beginning a fight for survival as truths begin to surface. Leading the young ensemble is Ava Brucks, played by Chase Sui Wonders, most recognizable for her work in A24’s horror-comedy (emphasis on the comedy) Bodies Bodies Bodies. Wonders displays her ever-growing emotional and physical acting capabilities, using Ava as a multifaceted surrogate for the viewer through the film’s events and lending a sense of agency to her final girl position.
Speaking of comedy, I Know What You Did comes packed with it. Somewhere between campy and purposefully poking fun at itself, the jokes never feel forced. Most of the humor comes by way of Helen Shivers-adjacent character Danica, played by standout Madelyn Cline. Rounding out the core friend circle are Teddy (Tyriq Withers), Milo (Jonah Hauer-King), and Stevie (Sarah Pidgeon), who each lend a hand in the film’s various action sequences. The chemistry between the group feels reminiscent of the 90s film’s star-studded cast, as do their active roles in unravelling the central mystery. Gen-Z superstar Gabbriette’s podcast journalist character, Tyler, also has a hand in the film’s humor. Meanwhile, seasoned actors Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. return as Julie James and Ray Bronson to serve as guides to the new cast, with the script giving the legacy characters some leeway to have fun with, but might also leave fans wanting even more.
The exciting first act successfully sets the playful tone and fast pace for the rest of the film, as director and co-writer Jennifer Kaytin Robinson settles in comfortably within a franchise you can tell she has love for. Between outrageously meta jokes, visual callbacks, and a meaty number of kills, Robinson knows exactly the film she signed up to make as well as the new audience it could potentially attract. The Fisherman returns, this time using more than just their infamous hook to slice through Southport’s residents. Undoubtedly bloodier and jumpier than the original, this installment has fun with its tropes while ultimately staying suspenseful. Plenty of mini-chase scenes are scattered throughout the runtime as The Fisherman stalks, and sometimes seemingly teleports before and after their attacks.
The town of Southport feels both familiar and upgraded against its July Fourth backdrop, as more territory is explored while other locations are revisited in new ways. Set pieces are used to the film’s advantage, and while comedic and suspenseful timing are more often than not very precise, sometimes the edit of the film suffers from cuts, a confusing camera angle or two, and some awkward blocking. However, none of these issues are significant enough to detract from the visual language as a whole.
I Know What You Did Last Summer is no stranger to the big swings it takes. A largely noticeable shift in tone from the 1997 original favors camp over melodrama, and story elements and character involvements will rug-pull audiences more than once. The film’s ending is sure to be a topic of contention, and it, along with a mid-credits scene, teases viewers with the possibility of open-endedness.
4/5 Stars
Knowing how to balance levity with suspense, I Know What You Did knows exactly how to play to its strengths as a modern slasher movie. The less than 2-hour runtime hardly leaves room for boredom, with a chase or kill just around every corner. The main cast successfully leads the audience through uncovering the mystery revolving around the identity and motivations of the killer, with plenty of homages, tropey goodness, and more than one or two moments that are sure to make jaws drop along the way.
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