If there’s one thing Millenials and older Gen Z can agree on it’s their love for campy 90s/2000s slasher films. I Know What You Did Last Summer is one of those horror movies that despite harsh movie critics and low tomato score will remain iconic. But why is that?
In comparison to things that don’t age very well, slasher films are the opposite of that. With the recent release of the sixth Final Destination, horror has received a more mainstream appreciation. Now with the revival of this cult classic, old and new fans alike can come together.
Director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson not only brings a fresh new cast for the series but the old cast as well. Jennifer Love Hewitt, Freddie Prinze Jr. and Sarah Michelle Gellar reprise their roles as a fan service to the old fans. Having Outer Banks star Madelyn Cline and model Gabriette Bechtel in the new film will attract newer Gen Z fans.
Reviving a cult classic
The first film in the franchise starts with Julie James and her friends celebrating Helen’s beauty pageant victory. On their way back, their car accidentally hits a passing pedestrian who they assumed they killed. Instead of going to the authorities, the friends decide to bury the body and their crime. But what they did last summer begins to haunt them as they start to receive anonymous letters relating to the event.
Late 90s stars Jennifer Love Hewitt, Freddie Prinze Jr. and Sarah Michelle Gellar are the three main characters of the first film. But Love Hewitt and Prinze Jr. are the only ones who return for the second installation. And then there was a silly attempt at a third one, which had no returning original cast members and an urban legend twist. But we don’t talk about that one.
The original two movies center around Julie and her friends trying to survive a killer fisherman. But what started out as a hit-and-run turned into a wrong-place-wrong-time situation for Julie and her friends. At the end of the first film (spoilers!), it’s revealed that Ben Willis, the guy they thought they killed, had just killed someone before they hit him. As revenge, Ben began to terrorize them. In the second one, Bill returns to antagonize Julie on her vacation at the Bahamas. So what is the new one about? And how does it relate to the original you might ask.
What happened this last summer?
Nearly three decades after the first two films, the new installation centers around a new friend group. But the plot remains the same. Said group gets involved in a roadside incident and get stalked by a vengeful fisherman. Though instead of the ‘ole hit-and-run, this time they cause a driver to swerve off the cliff edge to his death. And then, of course, the following year they all receive that infamous mysterious note.
The attacks of this hook-wielding fisherman echoes the events of the killing spree in ’97. So the friends turn to the original survivors. Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. reprise their role as Julie and Ray to help the new characters survive the nightmare they once endured. Sarah Michelle Gellar also makes an appearance as Helen in Danica’s (Madelyn Cline) dream to warn her.
When the trailer dropped, anticipation for Love Hewitt’s return was at an all-time high. Her character Julie is reintroduced as a Psychology Professor, living a quiet normal life after the traumatizing events of the first two films. When writer-director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson pitched Hewitt to reprise her role, Hewitt was hesitant at first. “I wanted to make sure that she fit into the movie in the right way and that there was a reason for her to come back besides just the ‘90s nostalgia moment,” Hewitt said about her return. “I wanted her part in the movie to matter and for the audience to feel like they were proud of who she has become.”
Is it worth it?
That twisted ending reflects how audiences felt watching the reveals at the endings of the previous films. Sort of like the unmasking at the end of the Scream movies. In this one, it is revealed that the fisherman is not Ben Willis but Stevie (Sarah Pidgeon), one of the main characters. This plot twist, though unexpected, felt a bit flimsy. Sure, it would be ridiculous for Ben Willis to still continue seeking revenge after all these years. But having one of the main characters turn into a serial killer overnight for revenge against her own friends is a little far-fetched.
Director Robinson didn’t hold back on her own thoughts about how her film might’ve been received. “I unfortunately know that not everyone is going to like this because we took swings,” she said. “But I’m really proud of those swings, and what I hope is that even if you don’t like it, you can be like, ‘Huh, cool swing.’”
Much like the previous films– and every other horror slasher– it’s revealed at the end that the killer (Stevie) is still alive. In the mid-credits scene, Hewitt’s character visits her friend Karla Wilson, who was played by Brandy in the 1998 sequel. This scene hints at a possible sequel for the 2025 film. But Robinson hasn’t confirmed this as she stated that it’ll be up to the fans. She says, “If the audience shows up and people love this movie, we would love to make more.”
Overall, the film has its moments and succeeds at making this a nostalgic moment for Millenials and elder Gen Z. Does it need a continuation? Most people including the fans would disagree. It’s much appreciated that the film got into the hands of a director that has a history with the franchise. And getting the original cast shows how much the crew and actors care about the fans. But in terms of the plot, this reboot of the cult classic remains stale.
