“I Know What You Did Last Summer” was a hit when it was released in theaters in 1997. It wasn’t as beloved by audiences and critics as “Scream” from the previous year, but that was okay; it had successfully cashed in on the new wave of teen slasher films “Scream” had sparked, and that’s all it needed to do to get a pair of sequels. Those first two “Last Summer” sequels performed less impressively, though, so pretty soon, the franchise was put on an indefinite hiatus.
Then, in 2025, the property followed in the footsteps of “Scream” yet again by attempting a legacy sequel or requel (reboot/sequel). This new film, which has the exact same title as the 1997 original, features a new generation of young friends caught in almost the same situation as the old generation, with the survivors of the first movie even showing up as hardened adults to give them guidance. Was “I Know What You Did Last Summer” (2025) able to replicate the success of “Scream (2022)”? Not quite: Its reviews were worse, as were its box office returns.
But much like its hook-handed killer, the franchise might not be as dead as it seems. 2025’s “I Know What You Did Last Summer” was added to Netflix on October 16, and as of today, October 21, it’s the fourth most popular movie on the service in the U.S. (via FlixPatrol). Audiences may not have bothered to show up and watch the movie in theaters, but it appears the film’s got enough pull to draw in viewers at home. Will its streaming performance be strong enough to justify yet another sequel down the line? We’ll just have to wait and see.
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I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025) is pure schlocky fun
Jennifer Love Hewitt as Julie looking worried in I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025) – Sony Pictures Releasing
I should admit that I’m a bit of a hater when it comes to “I Know What You Did Last Summer” (2025). I watched the movie in theaters and saw it as a classic case of a slasher franchise growing too safe with its characters. The original 1997 film was a fun time precisely because it was willing to get real mean with it; there’s one death in that movie that still haunts me to this day, whereas nothing in the 2025 sequel holds much weight.
Still, 2025’s “I Know What You Did Last Summer” is a fine watch as long as you don’t expect to actually be scared. It’s a meta, fast-paced adventure filled with plot twists that don’t quite make sense but are fun to watch. I even appreciate it for featuring some truly unwise narrative choices that its sibling “Scream” franchise would never dare make. There’s one particular choice involving a returning survivor that “Scream” has never done before and hopefully never will. Was this choice an example of good writing? No. Was it an example of interesting writing? I’d say yes.
Because the returning characters in this franchise aren’t nearly as beloved as the returning characters of “Scream,” and because the property’s reputation is nowhere near as strong, this “I Know What You Did Last Summer” legacy sequel has a level of creative freedom with its risks that the modern “Scream” sequels have been denied. For better or worse, this film takes some major swings with its script, and that alone makes it a fascinating watch.
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