I’ve never seen 1997’s “I Know What You Did Last Summer” all the way through. 11-year-old me was too young to see the R-rated slasher in theaters, which was just as well because I did see a trailer and lost many nights’ sleep over the killer’s deadly fishing hook. I eventually got caught up via highlights and recaps, to the point where I feel like watching the movie now would just be a redundant bore. This is all to say that I don’t have much loyalty to the original, outside of a begrudging respect for its ability to give me nightmares with something sharp. Once again, this is probably for the best, since without loyalty to the original, I don’t have to worry about betrayal on the part of the same-titled reboot.
The premise is the same here as it was in 1997: a group of friends goof off on a secluded coastal road one fateful summer night. Their antics cause an accident and a death, and although good girl Ava (Chase Sui Wonders) thinks they should take responsibility, others, like the spoiled Danica (Madelyn Cline) just want to put the incident behind them as quickly and quietly as possible. Danica, her obnoxious fiancé Teddy (Tyriq Withers), troubled Stevie (Sarah Pidgeon), and Ava’s wannabe boyfriend Milo (Jonah Hauer-King) agree to forget what happened, and after some peer pressure, so does Ava.
A year later, the group reunites for Danica’s wedding… to newcomer Wyatt (Joshua Orpin). She and Teddy didn’t work out as a couple. Nothing worked out for anybody, likely as a result of guilt. At her bridal shower, Danica receives a mysterious note with the titular message. Nobody in the group admits to sending it. Soon after, a murder occurs, committed by someone wearing all-too-familiar fisherman’s gear and wielding… well, first an effective-but-not-terrifying harpoon, but then that traumatizing hook. The murder is clearly related to the incident a year ago, and of course is just the beginning of a string of killings targeting the group and those around them.
Who can the killer be? Someone in the group? None of them “seem” capable of deliberate murder, but someone could just be pretending. Teddy’s bigwig father (Billy Campbell) knew about his son’s involvement, and in true mayor-from-“Jaws” fashion, he wants to sweep all local violence under the rug to protect property values. The creepy local pastor (Austin Nichols) seems to have something nefarious up his sleeve. A true-crime podcaster (Gabbriette Bechtel) is snooping around town suspiciously. Why is she here? Because this is the same town where a similar string of fisherman-based murders occurred 30 years ago. Survivors Julie James (Jennifer Love Hewitt) and Ray Bronson (Freddie Prinze Jr.) still live in the area, maybe they can help the new generation of hapless protagonists. Or do their violence-filled pasts make them a current danger?
The “I Know What You Did Last Summer” reboot has to lean heavily into nostalgia to be appealing, because it can’t elevate itself on more creative merits like interesting new characters or well-earned scares. At least Hewitt and Prinze have important roles to play, they aren’t just cameos for the sake of cameos, not that there isn’t at least one of those. I’ll also confess that I got some laughs out of the mystery, if only because the film goes so far out of its way to make minor characters with two or three lines seem like potential killers. Still, I don’t feel like I missed much by not seeing the original “I Know What You Did Last Summer” and you won’t be missing much if you don’t see this one.
Grade: C
“I Know What You Did Last Summer” is rated R for bloody horror violence, language throughout, some sexual content and brief drug use. Its running time is 111 minutes.
Robert R. Garver is a graduate of the Cinema Studies program at New York University. His weekly movie reviews have been published since 2006.
Last Update: Jul 21, 2025 8:11 am CDT
