By: Lana K. Wilson-Combs
The nightmare isn't over. Director
Jennifer Kaytin Robinson ("Thor: Love & Thunder") and co-writer
Sam Lansky ("I Wish You All the Best") revive the blood-soaked legacy of
"I Know What You Did Last Summer" with a slick and eerie modern sequel that delivers just enough nail-biting thrills and clever twists to keep fans invested, if not entirely satisfied.
This latest installment adds a bit of fresh energy and relevance to a franchise that refuses to die. If you stick around for the end credits, you'll see what I mean.
Based on
Lois Duncan's 1973 novel of the same name, the "I Know What You Did Last Summer" universe has endured for decades, from the hit 1997 original cult classic film to its 1998 and 2006 sequels, and even a 2021 TV reboot.
This sequel is also set in Southport, North Carolina, now reimagined for the TikTok generation, where secrets are harder to bury and consequences go viral.
A new group of teens, tied to the past in surprising ways, find themselves stalked by a familiar hook-wielding killer after covering up a deadly accident during a chaotic Fourth of July beach party. The setup may sound familiar, but Robinson and Lansky smartly anchor the horror in a world shaped by surveillance, shame, and social media blowback.
Robinson's direction also keeps the film visually sharp, blending neon-lit summer aesthetics with gritty, suspenseful nighttime chases.
The horror set pieces are efficiently staged, and the kills--while not overly inventive--are brutal enough to please genre devotees. The film also scores for its commentary on guilt, cancel culture, and generational trauma. The script occasionally leans into camp, but that self-awareness works in its favor, offering both scares and a wink at the franchise's legacy.
The likable young cast includes Chase Sui Wonders (TV's "The Studio"), Madelyn Cline (TV's "Outer Banks"), Tyriq Withers ("Him"), Jonah Hauer-King ("A House of Dynamite"), and Sarah Pidgeon ("The Friend") and each deliver solid performances. They are well-matched by franchise veterans
Freddie Prinze Jr. ("The Girl in the Pool") and
Jennifer Love Hewitt (TV’s "The Holiday Junkie"), reprising their iconic roles as Ray Bronson and Julie James.
Their return adds emotional weight and nostalgia, bridging the old and new generations with surprising effectiveness.
Although "I Know What You Did Last Summer" doesn't quite reach the iconic heights of the original, it's a fitting, blood-pumping return to form. It's not a reinvention, but it is a respectable resurrection and proof that some horror stories, like secrets, don't stay buried for long.
Editor's Note: Be sure to catch my N2Entertainment.net movie talk segment on the
Kitty O'Neal Show Fridays at 5:17 p.m. and 6:47 p.m. on radio station
KFBK 93.1 FM and 1530 AM.
Take a Peek At This Trailer For
"I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER"
Lana K. Wilson-Combs is a member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA), The American Film Institute (AFI), and a Nominating Committee Voting Member for the NAACP Image Awards.
