I Know What You Did Last Summer (The New Movie)

I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025)

39% on Rotten Tomatoes (out of 127 reviews) 

Runtime: 111 minutes

Directed by: Jennifer Kaytin Robinson

Starring: Some legacy characters, plus the likes of Chase Sui Wonders, Madelyn Cline, Jonah Hauer-King, Sarah Pidgeon & Tyriq Weathers

From: Columbia

I’d be like my Letterboxd mutual & refer to this as I Know What You MID Last Summer, except that I always found the ’97 original and ’98 sequel to be silly, dumb, & only OK. Henceforth, this legacy sequel being more of the same (albeit in sometimes different ways) is not something too risible to me. The obligation to use my AMC A-List app + the lack of interesting options for me now was a reason why the theatrical journey was made to view something where the expectations weren’t sky-high.

I was delighted to see some familiar faces I saw act in the late 90’s during my teen years. It was unacceptable that some shamed Jennifer Love Hewitt’s appearance; of course she doesn’t look like a teenager anymore… she’s a 46-year-old mother. Many at least voiced their displeasure over those cruel jabs. Undoubtedly, I’ve deteriorated since my teen years! Unlike me, she still looks great.

As for this new film, the general premise is the same… goofy young adults cause an accident + death during the summer; the next summer someone gets revenge. Of course, this was “inspired” by the new Scream films so Julie James and Ray Bronson return as their characters from the massacres they survived. Note that this film is really dumb at times: a rich family moves to the blue-collar town of Southport and because the patriarch “scrubbed off the Internet” the ’97 massacre, that area is now “The Hamptons of the South!”

There are other logical fallacies, a villain reveal questionably executed, kills that except for one won’t thrill the veteran slasher fans, and the young women in the cast are focused on far more than the young men-not everyone will like that. Series fans may take umbrage against this new movie because (redacted) but most everything was competent-whether in front or behind the camera, aside from some dodgy acting-this sequel was watchable and most importantly for me, was something that made me groan once or twice but otherwise did not make me angry.

Plus, as a middle-aged dude, it appeared as if they made fun of Gen Z and their lingo, which was fine with me… no offense to my followers! For certain, they skewered the worst people in the true crime podcast universe; some will approve that not only was a major character shown to be bi (and has a particular kink also) but that many key roles in this production were filled by women. Of course, there’s the expected fan service moments, including THE LINE… I understand the advertising has spoiled that; most probably assumed she’d say it.

Many might be disappointed; me, I don’t use words like “mid;” instead, “middling” is what I’ll proclaim. Before the film, it was learned by me that there’s a mid-credits scene; correct, and it is one worth sticking around for.