I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025) Review: A Slasher Legacy Runs on Fumes

I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025)

Directed by: Jennifer Kaytin Robinson

Written by: Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, Sam Lansky

Starring: Madelyn Cline, Chase Sui Wonders, Jonah Hauer-King, Gabriette Bechtel, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Freddie Prinze Jr.

Release Date: July 18, 2025

Rating: ★★☆☆☆ (2/5)

Trying to Revive a Franchise That Was Already a Knockoff

I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025) is a legacy sequel to a franchise that was itself a knockoff of Scream. Sony tried to replicate the teen slasher cash machine in the late ’90s with Jennifer Love Hewitt riding shotgun to her Party of Five co-star Neve Campbell’s success. While the 1997 film did well enough to warrant a sequel, it never had the cultural staying power of Scream.

Subsequent attempts to reboot the franchise—a direct-to-video sequel and a short-lived Amazon Prime series—went nowhere. But with Scream proving surprisingly resilient in the 2020s, Sony isn’t giving up. So here we are again, with another cash grab: I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025).

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New Cast, Same Setup: Who’s Hooked This Time?

This version rehashes the core idea: a group of young people cause a death and cover it up, only to be stalked a year later by a killer in a rain slicker with a hook. The Final Girl here is Ava (Chase Sui Wonders), the lone voice of reason during the group’s disastrous decision to cover up their crime. Predictably, she vanishes for a year, only to return on—you guessed it—the Fourth of July.

She comes back for the wedding of her old friend Danica, one of the five involved in the accident. Danica isn’t marrying her original fiancé, Teddy, whose father used his influence to hush things up. Instead, she’s marrying some poor soul whose only purpose is to die in the first act.

We’re also introduced to Milo (Jonah Hauer-King), Ava’s ex, and Stevie (Sarah Pidgeon), a one-time outcast who’s now Danica’s bestie. Their bond is newly forged, and suspiciously tight.

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Enter the True Crime Podcaster—and a Legacy Heroine Returns

The action kicks off when Danica receives the titular ominous note while opening wedding gifts. Her new fiancé is promptly murdered via harpoon, which Danica doesn’t hear thanks to her noise-canceling Beats by Dre headphones (subtle product placement, Sony).

Ava finds an unlikely ally in Tyler (Gabriette Bechtel), a true crime podcaster Ava met—and slept with—on her flight. Tyler is in town to cover the 1997 Ben Willis murders and happens to mention that one of the original survivors lives within convenient driving distance. This leads us to the return of Jennifer Love Hewitt as Julie James, now a college professor dispensing helpful exposition from a safe distance.

Freddie Prinze Jr. also returns as Ray, now a bar owner and the only adult who believes a hook-wielding killer is back in town. But local politicians would rather ignore a fresh killing spree than risk hurting Southport’s tourist season. Sound familiar?

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Slashing Through Red Herrings and Nostalgia Bait

I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025) tries to juggle modern commentary, throwback thrills, and fan service, but it mostly limps through predictable beats and uninspired deaths. There’s a killer in a slicker, a web of red herrings, and a reveal you’ll see coming from the first act.

If it sounds like I’m being cynical, it’s because I am. This is a two-hour commercial for possible sequels to a franchise that never had that much gas in the tank to begin with. That said, it’s not a complete waste.

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Bright Spot: Gabriette Bechtel Steals the Show

Gabriette Bechtel is the film’s MVP. Her portrayal of Tyler, the podcaster behind Live, Laugh, Slaughter, is a pitch-perfect satire of grifters in the true crime content space—soulless, sharp, and addicted to gore for clicks. Her presence injects much-needed energy and a touch of self-awareness that the rest of the film sorely lacks.

Unfortunately, not to spoil anything but, let's just say, Tyler the Podcaster won't be available to liven up any potential sequels.

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Final Thoughts: A Hook Without a Catch

This latest I Know What You Did Last Summer is another swing at reviving a franchise that was never all that deep to begin with. It does just enough to function as a passable slasher, but it doesn’t earn its runtime or justify its existence. If you’re a completist, or nostalgic for the ‘90s, you might find some guilty pleasure here. Everyone else? You’ve seen this movie before—just with better lighting and less Bluetooth product placement.

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Final Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Best For: Nostalgia seekers, true crime satire fans, or those curious to see Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. cash a check.

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#IKnowWhatYouDidLastSummer #2025Movies #SlasherFilms #HorrorReboots #JenniferLoveHewitt #GabrietteBechtel #TrueCrimeSatire #VocalMedia #MovieReviews #Reelscope