I Know What You Did Last Summer is not a remake or reboot of the 1997 film of the same name, but rather a relaunch of the long-dormant franchise. Picking up in the current era, the town of Southport is once again populated by the most annoying and insipid people imaginable. Insufferable, really. Except this time, they are not high school or college age, though they act like the worst cliches of the age range. As the story begins, this group of self-indulgent fools have reunited for a pre-wedding party. Being this is the Fourth of July, they decide to go out to look at fireworks. Also, being the most obvious form of “movie-style rich assholes” they decide to drag along a former friend of theirs, who had fallen into hard times. She is hesitant to go because of her job, but ends up tagging along. A needless accident occurs because of stupidity, and there is death. The group decides to stay quiet while one of them has his father hush it up. Flash forward a year and things are different, except they’re all still horrible people.
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Kevin Williamson used to make good movies. His script for the first Scream is a classic of the genre, while the original in this franchise is a minor success of scripting. Here, he proves himself a one trick pony that plays the same hand over and over until not only is the audience bored but you are rooting for the villain just so you can get out of the theater and go do something more productive, such as watching paint dry or pollen float through the air. The worst part of the film may not even be the lackluster, uninspired and warmed-over script, but the acting from the main cast, who largely seem bereft of either interest or talent, though given their previous work in other projects, the blame is likely to lie at the feet of a director who seems incapable or unwilling to do more than repeat the motions of the earlier films. Indeed, the appearances by the original cast members from the first film are the highlights of the film, with Freddie Prinze Jr getting the most screen-time of the trio.
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His character, however, is both a highlight and a problem in the film, because of how the script handles him. Given where the character went, for them to reach this point in their life is something that seems plot point convenient. It is also an instance of Williamson playing with one of-maybe his only-trick. Indeed, anyone who has seen many horror films and for certain, anyone who has seen Williamson’s work, will know where this one is heading.
It is a shame this turned out this badly, because the original film is spry, lively and inventive. This is the exact opposite. The setup for a continuation of the series is a tease that better things might come but it will need to be from a crew that know how to do something fresh with the franchise. When every kill is a rehash of what came before, and homage becomes mirroring becomes copy, the film has deep problems. Yes, in a sense, it makes sense, but at the same time, as an audience, we needed and even deserved something with more life, and originality.
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I Know What You Did Last Summer cannot be recommended other than to die hards and completionists, or to people who live in the eternal hope of “it has to get better, doesn’t it?” Who knows, maybe, if there is another one, the story will get better, but let this writer note, you will not recall a character’s name or their non-existent motivation, with perhaps one or two exceptions, within moments of walking out of the screening.
I Know What You Did Last Summer is now playing in theaters.
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