The mid-late 1990s were filled to the brim with horror movies that would ultimately leave a lasting impact on the genre and fans alike. You could find great vampire movies such as From Dusk Till Dawn, entertaining and quirky ghost stories like The Frighteners, or spend some time with otherworldly parasites in the sci-fi thriller The Faculty. Slasher flicks also had a huge moment during this period, with the release of Scream in 1996 and I Know What You Did Last Summer in 1997.
If you want to know just how much of an impact the latter two films in particular had on the slasher sub-genre, consider this: I Know What You Did Last Summer is the seventh highest-grossing slasher movie of all time, and Scream is number two. Those movies were so popular that they spawned parody movies like Scary Movie and Shriek if You Know What I Did Last Friday the 13th – and I think both are awesome!
By the time you’re reading this, the newest I Know What You Did Last Summer will be out of theaters and getting ready to start streaming, if it’s not available already. Before my wife Lauren and I hit our local theater, I thought it would be fun to sit down and re-watch the first two movies in the series, as well as watch the straight-to-DVD third movie and TV series for the first time.
Now, I’m going to share my thoughts on the entire I Know What You Did Last Summer movie franchise with YOU, including the latest entry in the series! Enjoy! 🙂
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I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)
First up is I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997). If you don’t know the premise, I’ll keep it short and sweet:
A group of drunken friends accidentally do a hit-and-run and dump the unconscious body of the man they totaled in a nearby body of water so they don’t ruin their own lives along with their unsuspecting victim’s. The following summer, they start getting notes letting them know that SOMEONE knows what they did and intends to make them pay.
Before long, bodies start to drop as a mysterious and menacing killer known as “The Fisherman” starts taking out the guilty teens and (anyone else who gets in the way) with a big ol’ fishing hook.
The very first thing I noticed about I Know What You Did Last Summer is that it’s super obvious from the start that you’re watching something made in the ’90s. But don’t worry — that’s not a bad thing! Especially if you’re also from that era.
Between a musical score that includes “D.U.I.” by The Offspring, the general fashion choices of everyone in the movie, and even the cars people are driving around, there’s a real sense of nostalgia, even if you’re watching it for the very first time.
The cast is stacked with great actors and actresses, like Jennifer Love Hewitt as Julie, Freddy Prinze Jr. as Ray, and Sarah Michelle Gellar as Helen Shivers. They all do a great job, but I have to mention that some of Prinze Jr.’s line deliveries had me laughing out loud.
Speaking of which, I found myself laughing at quite a few of the scenes that I probably shouldn’t have laughed at. Though I blame a lot of that on the fact that countless parodies kept coming to mind, like when Barry (Ryan Phillipe) finds a photo in the locker room [If you don’t remember/understand my giggle fit, go watch Scary Movie (2000)] and Hewitt’s infamous “WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!” line.
Although it’s rated R, it’s not particularly gory or over-the-top scary – most of the six kills are only briefly shown on screen or implied. There are quite a few “F Bombs” (33, according to IMDB), so my guess is that’s the only reason it got the rating it did. Either way, if you’re squeamish, you don’t have to worry too much about this entry of the I Know What You Did Last Summer franchise. It’s an “R”-rated horror film that teens of the era had no issues watching, and today’s kids will likely find lightweight so long as they’re not terrified by swearing.
Overall, the original I Know What You Did Last Summer is a fine teen slasher flick that’s entertaining, tense, and 100% worth watching at least once, ESPECIALLY if you’re planning to check out the latest movie (which is both a tribute to and an extension of this first entry).
Where to stream I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997):
I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998)
One year later, the sequel, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, was released in theaters. It once again stars Freddie Prinze, Jr. as Ray and Jennifer Love Hewitt as Julie, but there are some other familiar faces that you’ll probably recognize. Notably, real-life singer Brandy stars as Karla Wilson, Hewitt’s college roommate.
Other actors who really stood out to me were Jeffrey Combs and Jack Black. Watching this made me realize that Jack Black has been getting paid to, essentially, be himself for a very long time. I can understand why, though, he’s always funny and entertaining.
The plot of I Still Know What You Did Last Summer revolves around Julie (Hewitt) and Karla (Brandy) winning a vacation to the Bahamas via a radio show trivia contest. Karla brings her boyfriend, and Julie wants Ray to come but he doesn’t show up; so Karla opts to bring one of their other friends, Will, along for the ride.
Things seem promising at first, as they’re in a literal paradise, and young Jack Black is randomly walking around offering everyone a relaxing toke. But things take a turn when the limited staff at the resort starts getting murdered by someone -gasp- with a big fishing hook!
I don’t want to spoil too much here, but let me put it to you this way: I’d argue that this film in the I Know What You Did Last Summer franchise is a lot more like the Scream movies, as there’s an interesting/stronger “whodunit” element that didn’t totally click in the franchise’s first movie.
It’s apparent that they stepped up the kills/gore from the very first kill when someone gets their jaw pulled out with a hook. As a diehard slasher fan, I was happy to see that they went all-in! The humor is also great, with plenty of intentional (and sometimes unintentional), laugh-out-loud moments.
I prefer I Still Know What You Did Last Summer to the original, but it wouldn’t have been nearly as impactful without the first movie. Also worth noting, this is also one you NEED to watch before checking out I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025) if you want to be in on all the jokes/references made in the newest film.
Where to stream I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998):
I’ll Always Know What You Did Last Summer (2006)
So, let’s get this out of the way; I’ll Always Know What You Did Last Summer is, by far, the weakest film of the franchise. It was released straight-to-DVD back in 2006, which I would have been able to pick up on almost instantly even if I didn’t already know.
The clothes, music, camera work, and even the effects are reminiscent of the horror movies released around this time. Specifically, they reminded me of Saw and Hostel. But it doesn’t even come close to being as engaging, entertaining, or grossly fascinating as its influences.
In I’ll Always Know What You Did Last Summer, a group of friends are hanging out at a carnival, and they decide to convince one of their friends to dress up like The Fisherman and scare everyone there; which, at face value, I didn’t feel strongly about one way or the other. The basic premise is “fine.”
But the way it all goes down is strange, to say the least. They don’t just have their friend come out and go “WooOoooOoo I’m the ghost of The Fisherman!” Instead, they have this dude come in like a wrecking ball, swinging his hook around, cutting through carnival property, and even “lightly” slashing someone standing nearby with the iconic hook.
All of this culminates in one of their other friends doing a skateboard trick and accidentally getting impaled. The big secret in this I’ll Always Know What You Did Last Summer is that they all knew it was their friend “pranking” the carnival, and that it (kind of) led to their other friend dying.
The movie itself is horrendously slow-paced and downright boring. The characters are pretty darn unlikeable. There are only two kills, INCLUDING their friend who got impaled, until nearly an hour and 15 minutes in. When you consider that the movie itself is only slightly over an hour and a half long, you can see why this is a problem. The ending is also a head-scratcher.
I will say this: there are a couple of really nice practical effects that hold up well, especially given it’s been almost 20 years since this movie was released.
Where to stream I’ll Always Know What You Did Last Summer (2006) if you really want to:
A Note on the I Know What You Did Last Summer TV Series (2021)
In 2021, they released an eight-episode I Know What You Did Last Summer TV series. It has a 5.4 on IMDB and a 43% on Rotten Tomatoes, so I wasn’t expecting a masterpiece. But I was shocked at just how bad it is.
I don’t want to waste too much time talking about it, but I will say this: I was unable to finish the show because of how off-putting the characters are and the total lack of substance. My advice is to skip this at all costs, but if you want to cringe for yourself, the streaming button is below!
Where to stream the I Know What You Did Last Summer TV series:
I Know What You Did Last Summer (2005) – No Spoilers!
Alrighty, now let’s get into the legacy sequel, I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025). I’m going to do my best to tiptoe around spoilers since it’s still new to most people.
Let me start by saying that this entry is, by far, my favorite film in the franchise.
The best way I can describe it is that I felt the same way about this movie in relation to the original as I did with Scream VI in relation to Scream. You get to see a kickass slasher bigger and badder than ever before, alongside familiar faces from the earlier movies.
In the 2025 version of I Know What You Did Last Summer, a group of old friends get together for an engagement party. After the festivities, they decide to get drunk and drive a dark and winding road right next to the water. As you can probably imagine, things take a turn when someone unexpectedly dies due to their negligence.
If I had to point out one weakness this movie has, it would be that the accidental death isn’t quite as impactful as it was in the first movie. But then again, that’s not what any of us are here for, now is it?
When it comes to what we’re really after — jaw-dropping kills, suspense, and an engaging whodunnit — I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025) delivers. The mystery of who’s killing in Southport again is surprisingly deep for the franchise but, despite this, the plot’s still easy to follow and satisfying all the way through.
If you’ve seen the trailer, and I bet you have, you know that Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze, Jr. make a return as Julie and Ray, respectively; but I promise that’s just the tip of the iceberg. All of the new faces in the franchise do a great job, with Danica Richards (Madelyn Cline), Stevie Ward (Sarah Pidgeon), and Grant Spencer (Billy Campbell) standing out the most.
I can’t recommend I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025) enough, so don’t miss it! Let me wrap this up by saying that you really, REALLY need to stick around for the post-credits scene. You’ll be glad you did, especially if you watched I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) and I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998) first!
Where to stream I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025) [Editor’s Note: There may not be buttons to click below if you’re reading this pre-November 2025, but they’ll load in automatically once streaming options become available!]:
Should You Get Hooked on the I Know What You Did Last Summer Franchise?
The short answer is YES. The I Know What You Did Last Summer horror movie franchise has a lot going for it and is 100% worth your time. If I were you, I would watch the first movie in the series, then I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, and finally the legacy sequel I Know What You Did Last Summer.
If you’re in the mood for some 2000’s cheese, or want to be an IKWYDLS films completionist, the straight-to-DVD entry isn’t the worst you can watch (that honor belongs to the TV series), though it admittedly isn’t the best.
So, if you’re reading this and have only seen the first I Know What You Did Last Summer, now is the best time to get caught up. It’s so much fun seeing the characters evolve between the three core movies while also seeing The Fisherman getting increasingly more violent and interesting.
Did you check out the legacy sequel in theaters? If so, tell me what you thought in the comments – but please try to keep it spoiler-free. 🙂
Images for this review were purchased at MovieStillsDB and CineMaterial.
