The I Know What You Did Last Summer franchise is always behind. Always one step late. The first time was back in 1997, when its first movie premiered one year after Scream—both written by Kevin Williamson and with countless similarities in structure and slasher intent. Now, in 2025, the delay is even more evident: the new movie follows, three years later, the same path as the 2022 Scream sequel/remake. It’s more than a feeling of repetition; it’s a clear case of creative stagnation.
What’s the story of I Know What You Did Last Summer?
Premiering this Thursday, the 17th, the feature is one of those hybrid films — part remake, part sequel. After all, Sony Pictures doesn’t fully erase the past but brings in new characters alongside some veterans. In the story, a group of friends (played by Madelyn Cline, Chase Sui Wonders, Jonah Hauer-King, Tyriq Withers, and Sarah Pidgeon) causes a serious car accident that results in someone’s death. That’s where the central moral question comes in: they decide to flee and not call for help.
One year later, they receive a mysterious letter echoing the film’s title: “I know what you did last summer.” From there, people close to the group begin to die at the hands of the Fisherman — a visually striking villain in the slasher universe, but one who never reached the same iconic status as Ghostface, Freddy, Jason, or Michael Myers. He’s a step below, alongside Candyman and Pinhead — almost forgotten.
Same old, same old
The big bet in this new I Know What You Did Last Summer, which keeps the original title intact, is bringing back part of the original cast. Freddie Prinze Jr. and Jennifer Love Hewitt reprise their roles as Ray Bronson and Julie James.
It’s interesting how the return of these original cast members feels very similar to what happened with David Arquette, Courteney Cox, and Neve Campbell in 2022’s Scream. Freddie comes off as a reinterpretation of Arquette’s character, while Jennifer is a clear copy of Neve’s role. After all, both characters have left the towns where the massacres occurred to avoid the daily trauma of confronting death.
I Know What You Did Last Summer ends up feeling like an endless rerun. It even forgets what made the first film a moderate success, becoming more generic than ever. It abandons brutal psychological horror in favor of being just another teen survival flick. All the paranoia from the 1997 movie is gone. The new film brushes against a promising idea — how the town integrates the Fisherman into its urban legends — but lets the opportunity slip away.
A stab at self-awareness
The screenplay by Sam Lansky and Jennifer Kaytin Robinson (who also directs) seems more interested in Gen Z quips and jokes — which don’t always land. Any potential for depth sinks along the way, even though several opportunities arise organically. It’s also frustrating to see the film try to flirt with meta-commentary, especially when Prinze Jr. and Love Hewitt talk about nostalgia. It’s a good idea, but far short of what Scream achieved — and still achieves — on the big screen.
At least the writers take a bold step in the final reveal of the killer. Once again, it’s reminiscent of something already done in Scream, but it works thanks to the daring twist. Still, not even that surprise or the well-staged moments with the underrated Fisherman manage to lift the movie. With mostly weak performances, everything feels unoriginal and forced — like a film just trying to ride on someone else’s success, much like what happens in the world of animation.
In the end, I Know What You Did Last Summer lags behind. It seems like the franchise has never managed to reach its full potential. The Fisherman remains in the shadows, while Ghostface is still going strong 30 years after the first movie. And that leaves us with the question: couldn’t the franchise have found another way to return to theaters? Wasn’t there a better way to tap into the story’s potential — maybe by staying closer to Lois Duncan’s original novel? Either way, it’s too late for answers. The movie’s already in theaters, betting on nostalgia that feels microwaved since 1997.
