I’m not one for ripping movies for not sticking the landing, provided the buildup has been enjoyable; after all, the buildup is most of the runtime. “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” the fourth movie in the saga that started with the 1997 film of the same name (this one should’ve been called “I’ll Forever Know What You Did Last Summer”), severely challenges that notion.
The first two acts are pretty good. It’s not a necessary story, especially since the 2021 “IKWYDLS” TV series was already a gory and mysterious modernization. But it appears “IKWYDLS ’25” won’t embarrass the saga.
For one, the cinematography by Elisha Christian captures that Atlantic beach vibe where you’re probably not far from the next home over, yet you feel isolated at night. The darkness outside your lavish, brightly lit house on stilts is soothing with those invisible waves, but it is awfully pitch black, and there could be a horror-movie scene about to happen. I don’t know why the production shot in Australia instead of the real Southport, N.C., but it stands in fine.
“I Know What You Did Last Summer” (2025)
Director: Jennifer Kaytin Robinson
Writers: Sam Lansky (screenplay), Jennifer Kaytin Robinson (screenplay, story), Leah McKendrick (story)
Stars: Madelyn Cline, Chase Sui Wonders, Jonah Hauer-King
From Madison to Madelyn, maddeningly
Confusingly, considering that Madison Iseman starred in the TV series, the similar named and similarly blond Madelyn Cline (“Glass Onion”) stars here as Danica, a not-totally-likeable lift from those WB-CW series about rich coastal kids who for scripting and casting convenience never have parents around.
A little more likeable is her bestie, Chase Sui Wonders (“Bodies Bodies Bodies”) as Ava, the requisite member of the wrongdoers who wants to make a statement to the police but is peer-pressured out of it. Also in the group that tries and fails to push their moral dilemma aside are Jonah Hauer-King as Milo, Tyriq Withers as Teddy and Sarah Pidgeon as Stevie.
They could’ve been cast as teens in that “20-somethings playing teens” manner, but the script by Sam Lansky and director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson – to its credit, and also explaining the shortage of parents – makes them adults. Danica is getting married when we jump to the “one year later” portion.
The legacy cast is handled OK in the sense that it’s nice to see them more than we did in “I’ll Always Know What You Did Last Summer,” where they are merely newspaper clippings. Freddie Prinze Jr. is nicely grizzled as Ray. We learn jarring information about the relationship between him and Julie (Jennifer Love Hewitt). A surprising third legacy cameo is well used and constructed.
“IKWYDLS ’25” had me mildly enjoying the mystery and vibe. Although it strains to not reveal its “cheap cash grab” status, it too-briefly taps into 2025 by referencing a true-crime podcast series, hosted by Tyler (Gabbriette Bechtel). The idea that the 1997 murders are forgotten is legitimate, but that they have been “scrubbed from the internet” by the mayor (Billy Campbell) is absurd. This protect-the-town’s-rep subplot is like “Jaws,” except stupid.
It doesn’t reel in the catch (Spoilers)
However, that’s nothing compared to the stupidity to come. Throwing its hat into the ring for consideration when “dumbest endings of 2020s horror movies” lists come out …
(SPOILERS FOLLOW)
… “IKWYDLS ’25” opts to obliterate the characterization of Ray by having him be one of the killers. Conceptually, it’s daring to have an established hero of a horror saga be a villain in a later chapter. “Halloween” was too scared to do it with Jamie, “Friday the 13th” too scared with Tommy. “IKWYDLS” does it.
The problem is the execution. Although we do learn right away – depressingly – that Ray and Julie now hate each others’ guts, we don’t know why. A good screenplay could’ve misled us into thinking it is for certain reasons, then when we rewatch more closely we see Ray’s condition actually points to him being crazy. None of that is present in the screenplay, like Robinson and Lansky don’t know how to write on a second layer.
Since we hadn’t seen the Ray/Julie storyline in 27 years, it’s lame that this screenplay was considered good enough. Would it have cost that much money to give it one more punch-up? Ray-and-Julie are not sacred enough that the surprising twist (in concept) is off the table, but it needs to be earned.
What’s more, as if realizing they haven’t earned anything, the filmmakers then switch the vibe to winking comedy, like we’ve dimension-jumped into “Scary Movie.” As the surviving besties (daring the plot may be, but it can’t dodge the 2025 “They’re alive after all” trend) stumble away from the hospital in a stupor, they reveal via throwaway dialog that the second killer, Stevie, is still alive. (How would they know that? But since they do know that, why have they dropped their guard?) As the final evidence that Robinson and Lansky have misread the room, they promise a sequel via a weird mid-credits cameo.
(END OF SPOILERS.)
Time to cut bait?
The next one should be called “Look, We Get It, You Killed a Guy Last Summer.” It would reflect the tiredness of a series that can pay lip service to the instigating moral dilemma of Lois Duncan’s 1973 novel but – with the exception of that strong-but-canceled 2021 TV series – is otherwise lazy slasher bait. I’m no longer hooked.