‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’ Review: Fresh and Stylish, it’s the Perfect Brat Summer Massacre
Some legendary divas just refuse to stay down forever. The 2025 sequel to I Know What You Did Last Summer is a genuinely refreshing, stylish, and totally unexpected resurrection of an underrated ’90s classic, pairing glossy next-gen mayhem with a distinctly vintage slasher flair. It’s the perfect Brat Summer massacre, a red Solo cup brimming with sun‑soaked dread and a killer with an appreciation for theatrics.
Directed by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson (Do Revenge), the film Trojan-horses traditional horror tropes in neon and camp, weaponizing style and good taste in order to sharpen every silly little beat. The story picks up decades after the original, with a new set of fresh-faced friends: privileged, chaotic, well-intended, and guilty as sin. A year after an unfortunately tame Fourth‑of‑July roadside accident, a brand new “I know what you did last summer” note kicks off a methodically tense and surprisingly funny killing spree. This isn’t just jump‑scare horror; it’s occasionally gut‑wrenchingly tense when it’s not too busy having fun and making out with its past in the mirror.
At its core, though, this movie truly belongs to its young cast, especially its women. The new story honors the legacy of the dead with respectable commitment, but also pushes forward at the same time. Let’s not forget to give Jennifer Love Hewitt her flowers immediately: her return as Julie James isn’t mere nostalgia—it’s an emotional anchor, and her chemistry with Freddie Prinze Jr. has some real weight. This is her best Summer performance yet, and it was a joy to see her flex her Scream Queen vocal skills all over again.
Madelyn Cline, however, stands out among the new generation. She’s desperately funny, painfully relatable, and effortlessly magnetic, with the gravitas of a young Sarah Michelle Gellar. She’s a star, and it’s no secret. Whether cracking wise or running from a hook‑wielding killer, she’s funny, authentic, and turns tense scenes into living, breathing moments. She’s the film’s secret weapon, a magnetic presence with heart and humor. I look forward to seeing more of her.
Chase Sui Wonders also delivers a strong performance as our new protagonist, Ava Brucks. In line with almost all slashers, the script’s protagonist’s curse is somewhat restrictive and hinders Wonders from shining in the same way as Cline, but she does her best, and it’s noteworthy. Sarah Pidgeon rounds out the girlypop contingent, alongside Cline and Wonders. Her screen time elevates the script with each strange and genius choice. Watch her even when you’re not supposed to. She’s almost more dynamic than the film deserves. All together, this PowerPuff trio is sharp, endearing, and worth rooting for.
Where Robinson’s style might alienate some—especially those expecting a raw, gritty slasher—it’s a conscious choice. This movie is camp turned lethal. The heightened aesthetic is part of its charm: designer goods, pastel accents, dramatic lighting, and a wardrobe to die for. A24 and Terrifier bros alike will be pissed by all this, but Robinson leans into the glam anyhow—you just can’t keep a true diva down forever. She’s always gonna be back with a vengeance.
Speaking of: the kills here are regularly inventive, kinda brutal, and gory enough. While I would’ve liked to see this girly horror show take things further in the death department, that’s not what I Know What You Did Last Summer was ever about at its core. This is 14A mayhem at its finest, and not every horror movie requires more than that. Still, the silly humor made space for the Fisherman to brutalize a bit harder, and if we see a sequel, I hope that red is in season.
And let’s be honest, shall we? In great I Know What You Did Last Summer fashion, the murder-mystery elements here don’t exactly make 100% sense at all hours of the day. There are a handful of confusing moments, and a few plot twists lean on predictability. The script is not its selling feature by a mile. Those would be the direction and the charisma of its cast. So, if ’90s teen horror isn’t your thing, Robinson’s weaponized use of camp and nostalgia will leave you confused and shaking your fist at a cloud.
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I Know What You Did Last Summer
Summary
This is a legacy sequel that doesn’t sulk, brood or glower at its past in the mirror. Instead, it makes out with itself while happily carving out an identity all of its very own.
