‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’ Does for Nostalgia What a Psychopath with a Hook Does for a Body
- Jared Huizenga
- Jul 17
- 4 min read
The year was nineteen hundred and ninety-seven. I was 18 years old, just a couple of months into university, and completely clueless about movies that didn’t happen a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.
Sure, I retained quotes and trivial facts about everything I watched, but I didn’t understand that there’s a difference between a “good movie” and an “entertaining movie.” Hence, the fact that the original “I Know What You Did Last Summer” starred “that hot girl from ‘Party of Five’” and “new, hot Buffy” and I could easily sneak beers into the movie theater, was more than enough for me to claim it was a good movie. For longer than I care to admit, if I’m being completely honest. It wasn’t until a rewatch well into the 21st century that I realized it was just a very average movie.
Thankfully, there’ll be no such confusion for the 2025 incarnation … whether it’s a reboot, a sequel, a requel, or something else entirely, it’s just not a good movie. There are times where it doesn’t appear they even tried to make a good movie.
This time around, we’re back in Southport, NC, with a whole new group of “good people who make terrible decisions under duress.” This time, however, it’s twentysomethings Ava (Chase Sui Wonders, “Bodies, Bodies, Bodies”) and Milo (Jonah Hauer-King, “The Little Mermaid”) return home to celebrate the engagement of their lifelong friends, Danica (Madelyn Cline, “Outer Banks”) and Teddy (Tyriq Withers, “Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead).
They smoke some weed, have some drinks, watch some fireworks, and reconnect with another old high school friend, Stevie (Sarah Pidgeon, “Tiny Beautiful Things”). But what would Independence Day in Southport be if someone from outside the group didn’t die? We’ll never know.
When the group reunites the following summer, things have changed and the titular threats start flooding in. With no support from the community, the terrified friends turn to Southport’s resident survivors, Julie (Jennifer Love Hewitt) and Ray (Freddy Prinze Jr.), for help.
Look, I get it. I really do. Nostalgia is a wonderful thing. My home media collection is bursting with cartoons, comedies, and action flicks from the ’80s; I’ve started acquiring toys I had (or wanted) when I was very young; and my cousin and I text incessantly about WWE’s “Golden Era (1980-1993).”
But this isn’t “it.” This isn’t even close to “it.” I don’t know what “it” is, but I guarantee “IKWYDLS25” has never crossed paths with “it.”
The scares, leaning HEAVILY on the jump variety, are non-existent, every step/decision made by every character is telegraphed and predictable, and the entire film is almost completely devoid of anything resembling acting. There’s a few (and I use “few” very generously) laughs here and there, but not nearly enough when paired with poor acting, heinous dialogue, and a paper-thin plot.
All the things “Scream” got right when it was dusted off in 2022, “IKWYDLS25” got wrong.
But really, isn’t that kind of the legacy of these two franchises? Lumped together because they were released within 10 months of each other; starred popular young actors making the jump from TV to the big screen (with the main actors even being TV co-stars); helped revive the slasher genre; and one clearly ahead of the other every step of the way.
The good news is the original film didn’t age particularly well and was very ho-hum to begin with. And the follow-ups, 1998’s “I Still Know What You Did Last Summer” and 2006’s direct-to-video “I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer,” did nothing to elevate, or even progress the franchise, so any sins committed by “IKWYDLS25” can’t do much harm.
If you’re a diehard fan of the franchise, you’ll probably like this installment, too. If you’re a casual fan or someone who simply likes the genre, you might be able to pinch your nose and make it through the 111-minute runtime. If, however, you’re hoping to be magically transported back to a time when the only responsibility you had was nursing a hangover well enough to roll out of bed and make it through your 11 a.m. remedial math class, you’ll be sorely disappointed.
Hopefully I don’t start sending myself threatening notes next summer because I wasted two hours of this one. But I won’t blame myself if I do.
★ of ★★★★★
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