I Know What You Did Last Summer [2025] – Movie Review (2/5)

The 2025 reboot of I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER is better than the original sequel. That’s not saying much, but there are some solid moments. Overall, however, it’s unfortunately very mediocre. Read our full I Know What You Did Last Summer 2025 movie review below!

I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER has always been the “loser” of the ’90s slasher race—especially when compared to Scream. And unfortunately, that still holds true in the requel era (yes, that infamous reboot/sequel hybrid).

This franchise remains the unlucky “stepsister,” but maybe a sequel to this 2025 reboot can change that? At least the end credit scene teases another chapter quite clearly.

So, yes—stay seated once the credits roll. The bonus scene is actually one of the film’s most charming moments, with nods to both the 1997 original and the 1998 sequel.

Keep reading our review of I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025) below. The film premieres in theaters on July 18, 2025.

Back in Southport, again!

The 2025 version of I Know What You Did Last Summer doesn’t bring much new to the table. But to be fair, neither have recent Scream or Halloween installments, when it comes to their core plot.

However, there’s one huge difference still: Scream and Halloween have added depth and substance over the years, while I Know What You Did Last Summer seems to have grown thinner and lighter.

While Scream gave us a true crime reporter like Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox) long before the genre exploded, I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025) introduces us to a podcaster.

This podcaster shows up a year after five friends are involved in a deadly hit-and-run—yes, just like in the original. They vow to keep it a secret, but when they reunite the following year, the threats and murders begin.

Thanks to the true crime angle, the podcaster character is one of the few who remembers the infamous 1997 massacre—an event otherwise scrubbed from Southport’s collective memory.

Why? Tourism and real estate sales.

No one wants to visit (or live in) Murder Town, USA.

Unfortunately, This is Pretty Average

The I Know What You Did Last Summer franchise actually predates Heaven of Horror, but as children of the ‘80s, we’re still very familiar with it. Not that it was our introduction to horror. Still, for context: We’d probably give the 1997 original a solid 3 out of 5 blood splatters. The 1998 sequel? Would barely manage to get 2.

That means this 2025 reboot lands somewhere in the middle but closer to the I Still Know What You Did Last Summer sequel.

Honestly, the 2021 Prime Video spin-off TV series was the best production in the franchise so far.

I had higher hopes for this 2025 reboot, but the story just isn’t strong enough. The characters and humor never fully land, which has always been my issue with this franchise—especially compared to Scream, which I do, admittedly, adore. Both the legacy and the newer plots and characters.

Nostalgia vs. Innovation

In I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025), the younger cast is—frankly—kind of annoying. Recurring character Julie James (Jennifer Love Hewitt) is a fairly well-rounded and decent character, while Ray Bronson (Freddie Prinze Jr.) comes off a bit stiff.

It’s nice to see them back, but you can tell Freddie has been out of the acting game for a while. Then again, the character of Ray has never been particularly well-written to begin with.

Among the newcomers, only Ava Brooks (Chase Sui Wonders from Bodies Bodies Bodies) feels like a fully formed character. Stevie Ward (Sarah Pidgeon) and Danica Richards (Madelyn Cline) are paper-thin stereotypes with fleeting moments of depth.

That said, this is still a slasher, and the focus is (as always) on the women. Final Girls and Scream Queens remain front and center in this franchise.

Will There Be Another I Know What You Did Last Summer?

In smaller roles, you’ll spot Tyriq Withers (soon to star in HIM), Jonah Hauer-King, Billy Campbell, Austin Nichols, and Isaiah Mustafa. Mustafa only shows up in the end credits scene—again, stay seated!

And yes, there are a couple of surprise appearances that we won’t spoil here. But beware: other 2025 I Know What You Did Last Summer movie reviews will probably ruin them for you.

The end credit scene—and even the final scene of the film itself—strongly hint at a sequel. It wouldn’t be surprising if we get another entry in the vein of I Still Know What You Did Last Summer.

Or whatever they’ll end up calling it this time around.

Watch I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025) in Theaters

Directed by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, this reboot lacks the bite and edge we’ve seen in her previous work. She previously wrote and directed Do Revenge (2022), which had a sharper style I wish had carried over here.

She also co-wrote Thor: Love and Thunder (2022), and on this new requel, she shares script credits with Sam Lansky, based on a story co-created with Leah McKendrick (M.F.A.).

The end result just doesn’t come close to earlier projects from either Jennifer Kaytin Robinson or Leah McKendrick. It feels like studio interference may have dulled the impact they usually bring to their projects.

However, yes, I still think you should see the movie in a movie theater. If nothing else, for the nostalgia. And there are a few standout moments with key characters, plus that heavy sequel tease that gives me more hope for the next movie.

I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025) is out in theaters on July 18, 2025.

Details

Director: Jennifer Kaytin Robinson
Cast: Madelyn Cline, Chase Sui Wonders, Jonah Hauer-King, Tyriq Withers, Sarah Pidgeon, Freddie Prinze Jr., Jennifer Love Hewitt