Nostalgia sure is overrated!
Twenty-seven years after the Southport massacre, the fisherman is back with his hook, ready to terrorize the town of Southport again.
Written by Mariane Tremblay
I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025) kicks off with Ava (Chase Sui Wonders) returning to Southport for Danica (Madelyn Cline) and Teddy’s (Tyriq Withers) engagement party. With Milo (Jonah Hauer-King) also back in town, the whole gang is reunited. That same night, they run into Stevie (Sarah Pidgeon), an old friend they’d lost touch with. As the evening unfolds, the group decides to head up to their usual mountain spot to watch the 4th of July fireworks.
Just like in its predecessor—and with little surprise—they end up causing a car accident that results in the death of a stranger. They call the police and get back on the road, supposedly en route to the station. But Danica has other plans (as do the others), leaving Ava and Stevie as the only ones who genuinely want to come clean. In the end, they agree to a pact: they’ll never speak of that night again.
Flash forward one year, and everyone’s back in Southport—this time for Danica’s bachelorette party (she’s now engaged to Wyatt, played by Joshua Orpin). While opening gifts, she finds a card that reads: “I Know What You Did Last Summer.” Ring a bell? Danica panics, but quickly brushes it off, convincing herself it’s just a twisted prank from her ex, Teddy. Who else could’ve sent it? After all, no one else was there that night… right?
But things start to unravel quickly. Strange occurrences escalate into a full-blown haunt, and the group soon realizes someone is out for revenge. I’ve seen more creative kills, but they’re bloody and ridiculous enough to entertain, leaning more silly than scary. And while most of the deaths are easy to predict, I have to admit: the jump scares still got me. Maybe I’m an easy target, but I jumped more than once. The film knows how to time those moments, even when you see them coming.
One by one, the group is stalked by someone donning the familiar slicker and hook. As tensions rise, they begin digging into the town’s past—only to uncover that this isn’t the first time Southport has been haunted by a deadly secret. They stumble upon stories of a 1997 massacre—eerily similar to what they’re now experiencing—and realize that some of the people involved are still alive.
During a heated town council meeting, Ray (Freddie Prinze Jr.) makes a surprise appearance. He’s still living in Southport, now a bar owner... and, conveniently, Stevie’s boss. Ava eventually follows a trail that leads her straight to the one and only Julie James (Jennifer Love Hewitt), who’s been living a quiet life far from the chaos—until now.
It genuinely made me smile to see members of the original cast return to their iconic roles. There’s something satisfying about legacy characters showing up in new installments. I love it when filmmakers choose to honor the original rather than erase it. The Easter eggs and callbacks to the 1997 film are sprinkled throughout to make longtime fans cheer. It doesn’t necessarily save the movie, but it adds a welcome layer of fun that makes the ride a bit more enjoyable.
That said, some parts are so overly dramatic that it’s hard not to laugh out loud. I’m still not sure if it’s meant to play like a parody or if it’s just taking itself way too seriously—but either way, it’s hilarious. Monologues are delivered like life-or-death confessions (ok, they kinda are, but you know what I mean), and a few emotional beats are so exaggerated they feel ripped from a teen soap opera. Whether intentional or not, the result is weirdly entertaining!
At its core, I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025) tries to recapture the thrill of the original slasher classic but ends up feeling more like a glossy imitation. It’s eager to be clever and stylish, but often gets lost in Gen Z humor, superficial dialogue, and aesthetics that feel lifted from a generic streaming service. The script leans heavily on pop culture references and irony, and while it does manage to build tension in key moments, it struggles to develop its characters beyond the most basic archetypes. The vibes are almost there, but the execution is messy—it doesn’t quite commit to camp, nor does it take itself seriously enough to be fully effective. That said, there’s a chance this hyper-self-aware, overly stylized approach is intentional—a deliberate attempt to make the film feel like a time capsule of its era. If so, it’s a bold swing, even if the result is more chaotic than cohesive.
To top it off, the ending is (in part) disappointingly predictable. At one point, during a death scene, a character removes the fisherman’s hat and gasps, “You…”—and from there, any lingering mystery unravels. The reveal is so plainly signaled that it deflates the final act’s suspense.
You might still have a good time watching it—just maybe not for the reasons the filmmakers intended (or maybe it is). But hey, if beautiful people screaming through a blood-soaked soap opera is your thing, you’re in for a treat!
I Know What You Did Last Summer is now playing in theatres.
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