Summer slashers can be a whole lot of fun, and many fans were hoping that this sequel to the original two I Know What You Did Last Summer movies was going to be a welcome dosage of bloody slasher goodness. Sadly, this new film, directed by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, manages to stumble under the weight of nostalgia and mismanaged storytelling.
One of the film’s bright spots is Madelyn Cline as Danica Richards, who delivers a deeply fun and charismatic performance. The iconic Jennifer Love Hewitt is also a blast to see here, in the few scenes she actually does appear in, bringing some gravitas and familiarity.
It’s also often a good-looking film thanks to Elisha Christian’s cinematography, which manages to be moody and atmospheric, especially during the nighttime sequences and set pieces in Southport (in North Carolina, not Merseyside), which give the film a slick and modern horror aesthetic.
Everything else, though? A total misfire. The film’s biggest offender is its inconsistent tone; forced humour undercuts what little tension the film attempts to build. The pacing is incredibly sluggish, with long stretches of meaningless exposition and melodrama that stall any forward momentum. Scenes intended to feel tense are flat, and the kills – traditionally the bread and butter of a slasher – are either uninspired or poorly staged.
The most frustrating things about this film, though, are the ending and just how little Julie James has to do with the plot. Despite marketing Love Hewitt’s return as an important part of the story, she gets nearly nothing to do until the third act. And when the final fifteen minutes unfold, the film takes a ridiculously offensive nosedive that’ll tarnish a lot of the enjoyment any of us had of the original film. What could’ve been a thrilling return is instead a muddled, disappointing coda to a franchise that deserved a more respectful swan song.
I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER is in cinemas now.
