I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025) Review
I will admit, I Know What You Did Last Summer is a franchise I've never loved. The first film was built on a ridiculously convoluted, flimsy foundation. The first film lost me in its first couple of scenes, and the poor dialogue and story cemented its mediocrity. The third movie isn't great, but it has unique camerawork, less egregious dialogue, and more dark tension than the first—I'd still give it a thumbs down, but I think it's a tad overhated, given it's not any worse than the first. The second movie is the only one I'm positive about, because Brandy and Melchi Phifer were tons of fun and elevated the film. All generic slashers really have going for them is being a fun or scary movie experience, unlike slashers with much more thematic merit. I also loved the campy plot twist because it fit the film's hilarity. So, did I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025) rise above the two I am not a fan of, or was it another boring slasher? That's what I, Brighton Nelson of The Reel Ranker, will be discussing in today's article. Thanks so much for joining me on the site, and I hope you have a great day!
Let's start with the positives. First, thankfully, it ignores the existence of the third film, keeping it the standalone it should be. Second, it embraced the fact that it is a campy series and didn't try to hide it. Third, the post-credits scene teases Brandy's return as Karla Wilson, which makes it the best scene in the film by far. Fourth, the twist was bold, and worked for me. Some hated it, and I get it, but I never loved the character, so the motivation and twist completely added to the movie, not detracted from it. This also adds to an already solid climax, giving it a kind of tension the series has never had. This also adds to an already solid climax, giving it a kind of tension the series never had outside the iconic (yet frustrating) chase sequence in the first movie.
Nevertheless, this film honestly has nothing good or tense before the last 20 minutes. The film is forty minutes too long, bogged down by horrendous dialogue that somehow stoops to an even lower low than before. And, somehow, it still rushes the kills and has choppy editing. The intro sequence that hearkens back to the original is even more contrived, and none of the characters have any charm, even compared to the mostly mediocre original cast—which, honestly, was already carried by Helen (her character's chase sequence is the only thing I can call unironically great about this franchise). A movie that's almost two hours long can seldom be saved by 20 minutes, and this film is no exception.
The Reel Ranker Verdict
Reel or Unreel? - Unreel
The Reel Ranker Score: 40%
Letter Score: D-
Star Ranking: 2 out of 5
I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025) finally justifies its existence in the last twenty minutes with a bold twist, tense climax, and fun post-credits scene. Regrettably, these brief moments of fun can't redeem a bloated, mediocre, atrocious-dialogue-filled film that continues to cement the franchise's legacy as a shaky, subpar slasher series.
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Brighton Nelson
Brighton NelsonEnjoy this review? Stay tuned for more articles from The Reel Ranker! Enjoy video games, music, or books? Check out our sister site, RPG Ranked, Mr. Maestro, and Brighton's Bookshelf, respectively!
