When the new film I Know What You Did Last Summer was announced, the first reaction from many people was "Why?". The last theatrical release for the series was in 1998, and the franchise seemed stagnant after a direct-to-video release two decades ago and an Amazon TV-series adaptation that failed to click with both critics and audiences.
Spoilers ahead for I Know What You Did Last Summer!
After seeing the latest entry, the question of why is still at the forefront of most viewers' minds. Although the movie is fine, it features numerous sequences we've seen before and doesn't add anything new or exciting to either the horror genre or the franchise as a whole.
The film follows a new set of friends, Ava (Chase Sui Wonders), couple Danica (Madelyn Cline) and Teddy (Tyriq Withers), Milo (Jonah Hauer-King), and recovering addict Stevie (Sarah Pidgeon), who accidentally cause the death of a Southport local while celebrating on the Fourth of July.
The accident is a callback to the original film and serves as another reminder that the franchise is struggling to evolve over time. With our current focus on technology, self-made celebrity status, and the indestructibility that Gen-Z and millennials seem to feel, it felt like they could have taken a different route on what caused the accident or how it occurred as a whole.
Despite Ava's pleas that they call the police, the group decides to leave the scene of the crime, and it sets up the events for the remainder of the film. A time jump to a year later briefly shows us the after-effects of the accident, but it feels like the film misses the mark by showing us quick hits of how this life-changing incident impacted our quintet.
The time jump has also broken Danica and Teddy apart, and we're quickly introduced to her new beau Wyatt at their bridal shower. Unfortunately, his time on-screen is short-lived as the group receives a note stating "I Know What You Did Last Summer," and Wyatt is killed shortly after by the hook-wielding fisherman.
This leads our characters into an investigation of who the killer could be, which also results in the death of Tyler (Gabbriette Bechtel), a true-crime podcaster covering the events of the original film. Bechtel provides one of the few standout performances, even in her limited screentime, and the movie suffers as a whole for her quick demise.
After the deaths of Wyatt and Tyler, the group recruits the help of Julie James (Jennifer Love Hewitt) and Ray (Freddie Prinze Jr.) from the first two films. Although it's great to see both back on the big screen, it provides additional evidence that this new iteration isn't able to set itself apart from the original films.
Without delving too deep into spoilers, the film then jumps into a series of twists and close calls that result in numerous deaths for our main group but also those around them. Even though the trailer spoiled most of these scenes, we're also treated to another reunion with an original cast member that should please both new and old fans of the series.
One issue is that I Know What You Did Last Summer's continued emphasis on its past forces the audience to recognize the issues with its present. The main cast fails to capture the spark of the original group, and both Sui Wonders and Hauer-King struggle to stand out during the film.
Fortunately, both Cline and Withers overcome poor writing to help lift up the film, even if both characters fit into the mold of the ditzy blonde and the athlete who feels invincible, respectively. Cline specifically brings a level of humor to her role that helps prop up numerous scenes and showcases the natural charisma we've seen throughout her career.
As the film reaches it's climax after a series of twists that felt more unnecessary than rewarding, we're left with two hints that the franchise may continue, but the question will continue to remain "Why?". The first film felt like lightning in a bottle with a standout cast and unique story, but the franchise has reached a point of stagnancy that may prevent it from ever fully growing.