The anticipated legacy sequel to 1997’s I Know What You Did Final Summer time lastly arrives in theaters on July 18, and the evaluations are trickling in. So was the follow-up function well worth the wait? On Rotten Tomatoes, 2025’s I Know What You Did Final Summer time at the moment holds a 46% ranking from 46 evaluations, indicating that it’s, at finest, a combined bag. The brand new slasher stars Madelyn Cline as Danica Richards, Chase Sui Wonders as Ava Brucks, and Jonah Hauer-King as Milo Griffin, amongst others, and welcomes again Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. to reprise their roles.
The unique I Know What You Did Final Summer time additionally did not impress critics. Whereas it was a business success that topped the US field workplace for 3 consecutive weeks, it holds only a 45% approval ranking on Rotten Tomatoes. Over time, nevertheless, it has develop into a cult basic.
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Can the brand new ‘I Know What You Did Final Summer time’ scare up sufficient enterprise to contend for the highest-grossing horror movie of 2025?
The brand new movie, the fourth installment within the franchise, is directed by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, who co-scribed alongside Sam Lansky and follows a “group of pals who’re terrorized by a stalker who is aware of a few grotesque incident from their previous.” Though nowhere close to excessive marks, 46% does level to some redeeming qualities: some critics discovered the slasher to be a enjoyable time, and Hewitt (as Julie James) and Prinze Jr. (as Ray Bronson) had been standout mentions. The AP’s overview shares that the movie is “fairly vapid stuff till the OGs arrive,” emphasizing the welcome familiarity the unique stars convey to the legacy sequel.
The New York Publish provided one of many extra favorable evaluations, giving it 3 out of 4 stars, cautiously stating that “it is rather a lot higher than the 1997 model, if equally as silly.” They commend the “way more grotesque” kills and a “freaky” Fisherman. Whereas they ask viewers to “make no mistake, this can be a dumb film,” they worth it as a refreshing change from “self-important horror films on the market with Oscar aspirations.”
Predictability and Pacing: The place the ‘I Know What You Did Final Summer time’ Legacy Sequel Stumbles
Nonetheless, regardless of the pluses, there are quite a few negatives. A recurring criticism is that the reboot is just too reliant on the unique movie, typically making direct references to it. Critics additionally discover fault with the movie’s pacing and predictability. The Hollywood Reporter is certainly one of a number of publications that decision out the movie’s fourth-quarter twists:
“For a lot of its operating time, ‘I Know What You Did Final Summer time’ tediously lurches from one violent slashing to a different, which might be high quality if any of the kills showcased visible originality or real thrills, which they do not. It isn’t till the ultimate act that the movie goes critically bonkers, throwing out so many pink herrings and plot twists revolving across the true id of the assassin that Agatha Christie would throw up her palms in disgust.”
MovieWeb’s Julian Roman dubs it an “totally nonsensical recycled reboot” affected by a “lack of scares, manufactured suspense and a sluggish runtime that may take a look at discerning viewers’ endurance.” In the end, it seems I Know What You Did Final Summer time is a movie finest fitted to loyal followers of the unique craving for a little bit of nostalgia.
I Know What You Did Final Summer time stars Cline, Wonders, Hauer-King, Tyriq Withers, Sarah Pidgeon, Billy Campbell, Gabbriette Bechtel, Austin Nichols, Joshua Orpin, Prinze Jr., and Hewitt. It lands in theaters on July 18.
Sources: AP, The New York Publish, Rotten Tomatoes, The Hollywood Reporter
I Know What You Did Final Summer time
- Launch Date
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July 18, 2025
- Runtime
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100 minutes
- Director
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Jennifer Kaytin Robinson
- Writers
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Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, Sam Lansky
- Producers
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Neal H. Moritz
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Madelyn Cline
Danica Richards
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Chase Sui Wonders
Ava Brucks
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Jonah Hauer-King
Milo Griffin
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Tyriq Withers
Teddy Spencer
