I Know What You Did Last Summer

Run. Run far away. Run far away and never return. You know, you really begin to understand and appreciate what a great writer Kevin Williamson is when all these new directors and writers try to continue his stories and fall flat on their face. This movie is trash. What the director has done is basically just spitting in the face of the fans that have loved these characters for almost 30 years. I rolled my eyes and went along with it for almost 90 minutes and then the train derailed. I don't know that I've ever witnessed a more jarring and sudden character assassination in my 40 years of enjoying movies.

The first 2 minutes are as good as it gets - the inner monologue of a 25 point IQ who chose UofMich - enough said - she should be offed just for that. Terrible lighting, terrible acting, script sucks - you were hoping they all died - but it took 31 minutes for the first dead body. You couldn't tell any of the characters apart and the location/set up was so ridiculous. Seriously - THIS is your idea of a reboot of a great movie?

1997 was a wild year. Jennifer Love Hewitt and her pals in Southport, North Carolina, committed flat-out murder-and somehow managed to build a franchise out of what should've been a one-and-done slasher flick. Now, 27 years later, we're back with the worst-kept secret in horror history. What began with four friends has evolved into a new generation mirroring those same moments.

I'm all for paying homage and drawing inspiration from the original, but this film felt like callback central. Reference after reference. A loosely connected series of events that kind of made since... maybe. Its a legacy sequel so yeah expect some nostalgia, however the script seemed very rush and the film suffered because of it.

The connection between the original cast and the new generation was half-baked at best. I was glad to see Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr., but their presence felt forced, like the film just wanted the audience to just go along with it.

As for the new stars there were some decent performances, a couple of laughs, however nothing truly stood out. I didn't feel invested in any of the characters and the film didn't give a reason why I should.

The film opens with upbeat, trendy music that instantly sets a Scream VI vibe-never a good sign if you're hoping for originality. From the start, it's clear this isn't going to break new ground. We follow a group of American "teens": conventionally attractive girls paired with alpha-male archetypes, with Jonah Hauer-King oddly miscast and feeling out of place.

The premise hasn't evolved since the 1997 original: a group of friends covers up a death, only to be stalked one year later by the iconic fisherman in his rain slicker. He picks them off one by one, sometimes extending his vengeance to their loved ones. That's it. There's little substance beyond this familiar formula. Legacy characters from the original film return, but rather than adding emotional depth or clever twists, their presence feels like a shallow callback. Freddie Prinze Jr., in particular, gives a performance that weirdly channels Dermot Mulroney from Scream VI; not exactly flattering.

Several sequences simply don't make sense. In one, Teddy tries to fix the sliding doors on his boat, even though we can clearly see someone lurking at the end of the corridor. His behavior makes it seem as if he's conspiring with the killer rather than in danger. When he eventually fights the fisherman, the scene plays more like roughhousing with a buddy than a desperate struggle for survival. Later, Teddy's father mourns his son while heavy footsteps of the killer are blatantly audible in the background. Yet the father never reacts. It's sloppy staging, and moments like these kill any suspense.

Acting quality is inconsistent at best. Characters flip from panic to casual nonchalance within minutes, destroying any sense of tension. For a slasher from 1997, some of these choices might have slid by unnoticed, but for a 2025 release they feel outdated and careless.

Ultimately, this revival offers nothing fresh: no new angle, no genuine scares, and no compelling performances. It's a reheated version of a story that was already thin, relying on nostalgia rather than creativity.

Five friends become responsible for a tragic car accident that results in a man's death. They decide to cover it up and swear never to speak of it again. But exactly one year later, the nightmare returns: a mysterious killer wielding a hook begins hunting down those involved. To stop the maniac, the group turns to the only people who've survived something similar - the victims of the 1997 Southport massacre.

As a fan of classic slashers like Scream and Urban Legend, I'll be blunt: if the filmmakers' goal was to make a straightforward remake with a new cast but no real changes to the script, the result is a missed opportunity. If they were aiming for the meta-approach of the later Scream sequels, referencing the original while updating the formula - it's not quite enough.

On the plus side: solid direction, a couple of effective jump scares, and decent visuals. But everything else feels derivative and predictable.

The film may spark nostalgia for fans of the genre, but it doesn't breathe new life into the franchise. If you've been missing slashers, it's worth a watch. If you were hoping for something more - unfortunately, this isn't it.