I Know What You Did Last Summer Review- Dead on Arrival

Franchise reboots like Scream (2023) and Final Destination: Bloodlines (2025) have smashed their way to impressive Rotten Tomatoes scores, and amidst all this frenzy, the nostalgic I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025) was a sheer disappointment.

Here is our version of I Know What You Did Last Summer review that will help you decide whether you should rush to the cinemas or skip the visit this time. I suggest the latter, though! 

Plot details of I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025)

A group of five friends, just like the 1997 original IKWYDLS, encounter an accident where a death takes place, and they all decide to stay quiet about it. They are unaware of the consequences that they have to bear exactly one year later. 

They get a creepy message saying, “I know what you did last summer” at a friend’s engagement party. There is someone who knows their secret and is back for revenge.

Thus, the killing spree starts, and everyone is killed one by one with the killer’s hook. Watch the trailer here for a recap:

Actors’ performances in IKWYDLS (2025)

The only two prominent actors in the film are Madelyn Cline (who played Danica Richards) and Jennifer Love Hewitt (who played Julie James). Cline played the character who wanted to tell the police about the accident last summer, as she believed an appropriate investigation should be conducted, while her friends didn’t agree with her.

She was the only one who stayed till the end, as the killer let her go several times. The killer still didn’t want to let her go, as he didn’t like secret holders, while she was disturbed by the fact that they would have to suffer just because of their one mistake. 

Jennifer Love Hewitt was sweet, too, as most of her star power came from nostalgia. There was no extra effort that she might have put into making her role memorable. She tries her best to help the other character, but as the film is meant to be, everyone has to die in the end. Boring! 

We don’t feel any emotional attachment to the rest of the characters, as the film is built that way. We don’t even care who is going to die next, as there is nothing really at stake. 

What do critics add to I Know What You Did Last Summer review?

The critics’ consensus on Rotten Tomatoes is a discontentment, as it says, 

“Faithfully harkening back to the original for better or worse, this I Know What You Did Last Summer reboot serves up plenty of nostalgia without finding a compelling hook of its own.” [Source]

The critics are of the view that the characters and the story plot are both “uninteresting,” as there is nothing special in the film except nostalgia. Just for the sake of it, we can head to cinemas to have the feel; otherwise, this “Gen Z rehash” didn’t do much to carry on the legacy of the franchise. 

 

 

 

 

 

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Fans reaction

Fans are okay with the I Know What You Did Last Summer reboot (2025) as they think the film made use of plenty of jump scares with their apt timings. 

Some of the fans were not impressed by the movie, as they felt that it missed the “classic thrill” and the excitement felt flat. The killer’s motivations weren’t deep, and the entire story didn’t make the audience sit in their seats till the end to watch what would happen next, as it was all quite predictable. 

Is IKWYDLS worth watching?

We don’t want to know what you did last summer, and the doings should be buried forever since IKWYDLS 2025 was nothing but a reboot failure. Nothing in the film stands out that would qualify and mark its distinct identity. Na-ah!

The story seems dragged because, just for the sake of a reboot, the story is made. There is nothing new to the narrative, except that new actors were added to give a fresh feel to the film. It didn’t quite work, not for me at least. 

I Know What You Did Last Summer vs. Final Destination

The ‘innovation’ factor was seriously missing. The film only looked like a blood-splattering version of any Hollywood slasher movie and nothing more. I don’t know why, but when I make a comparison with Final Destination: Bloodlines, a franchise reboot worth talking about, IKWYDLS 2025 is a total joke. Compared to Bloodlines, which innovated its kills and added depth to the lore, IKWYDLS plays it safe with recycled tropes and a lifeless cast

The film’s end was bland. Although the filmmakers tried hard to make it a shocking revelation moment for all of us when we saw Freddie Prinze Jr. as the killer, believe me, it didn’t bring my eyeballs out of my sockets. While the reveal of Freddie Prinze Jr. as the killer might’ve looked shocking on paper, the execution lacked buildup, which made it feel more like a cameo than a twist. Jennifer Kaytin Robinson (director) could’ve done much more. 

What we liked

• Madelyn Cline’s performance
• Nostalgic throwback with Jennifer Love Hewitt
• Well-timed jump scares

What could be better

• Lack of emotional stakes
• Predictable and weak storyline
• Bland and underwhelming ending 
• Missed opportunity for reinvention
• Forgettable supporting cast

Our rating: 5

Is I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025) available for online streaming? 

Columbia Pictures distributes I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025) (rated R) theatrically at the moment, and it is not available for online streaming. 

Genre: Slasher horror, mystery, thriller

IMDb rating: 5.6

Rotten Tomatoes: 37 percent on Tomatometer (critics’ score) and 68 percent on Popcornmeter

Cast: Madelyn Cline, Sarah Pidgeon, Tyriq Withers, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Freddie Prinze Jr., Chase Sui Wonders, Jonah Hauer-King

Director: Jennifer Kaytin Robinson

Writers: Leah McKendrick, Sam Lansky, Jennifer Kaytin Robinson

Producer: Neal H. Moritz

Release date: July 18, 2025

Movie runtime: 1 hour 51 minutes 

Do you agree with I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025) review here? Let’s discuss.