“This movie will probably become part of pop culture, even if not a critical success. Neither was the 1997 film, and it’s now a cult favorite.” writes Kathryn Whitney Boole
Rated R
111 Minutes
Released July 18th
This is the 4th installment in this franchise, though most people only remember the 1997 original.
This new version of I Know What You Did Last Summer, which I will refer to as IKWYDLS, is not a remake, but a continuation of the story that was played out in the 1997 movie. The same town, fictional Southport, North Carolina, is the backdrop for a resurgence of this drama almost 20 years later, with mostly new characters and cast. The original movie was based on a 1973 novel by Lois Duncan. Today’s iteration was written by its director, Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, with Sam Lansky and Leah McKendrick. Sometimes when there is more than one writer, the story can get a little fragmented, but this drama is pulled together by the talented young cast, most of whom have never had major starring roles. The opening is a little slow, and the flow skips a beat here and there, but the movie mostly keeps its rhythm.
The storyline and character relationships are complicated, but that’s also what makes it interesting. The movie will gradually pull you in. There is just enough blood and gore to render appropriate gasps. Director Robinson gets the gruesome scenes on camera, but does not linger on them, returning to the action quickly. The filmmakers have been able to keep a hint of humor lurking behind even the most ghastly scenes. The repetitive clunk of the killer’s boots on the floor verges on comedy but also serves as the ubiquitous foreboding drumbeat signifying dread.
The main characters, a group of early 20-somethings, mostly have “bougie” dilemmas that set up the action. This is an upscale nightmare. In the beginning, the group all seemed callous, naïve, and self-serving. Gradually through the terror they experience, they gain strength and learn to lean on each other. Nobody seems to have any street sense, except for “Stevie,” played by Sarah Pigeon, who is the working-class outsider and plays a key role later in the movie. Police officers are portrayed unrealistically, which bothered me. The officers in this movie wouldn’t last 24 hours on duty with the SMPD. However, their ineptness moves the plot. Chanda Dancy’s music adds a rich dimension.
Director Robinson was born in Miami and moved to Los Angeles at 16 when she made the short list to be cast as Miley Cyrus’s best friend in Hannah Montana. She was an actress and PR rep before turning to writing, and created the MTV show Sweet/Vicious, a dark comedy about female college students who extract revenge on sexual abusers. She was invited to speak at the White House during the Obama administration. In 2020, she co-wrote Thor: Love and Thunder with director Taika Waititi. For IKWYDLS, she wanted to make sure that there would be nostalgic details for fans of the original film, and at the same time, a gripping story that would draw in audience who never saw the first movie.
Only three characters return from the 1997 film: Freddie Prinze Jr as “Ray,” Jennifer Love Hewitt as “Julie,” and a cameo from Sarah Michelle Gellar as “Helen.” Prinze says, “I loved what they did with that character, or I wouldn’t have done it.” (Yes, he has a big twist.) The rest of the ensemble are just beginning their careers, and Robinson lets them take center stage. The most experienced, Madelyn Cline as “Danica,” has been a series regular on Outer Banks for six years. Chase Sui Wonders (“Ava”) is from Detroit and is the niece of fashion icon Anna Sui.
Chase studied film at Harvard and has already appeared in several movies. She wrote and directed A Trivial Exclusion in 2009. Tyriq Withers, who plays “Teddy,” is just getting his start. Jonah Hauer-King as “Milo,” played “Laurie Laurence” in 2017’s Little Women and appeared in A Dog’s Way Home and The Little Mermaid. Pigeon, as Stevie, is also from Detroit, studied at Carnegie Mellon, and appeared in the mini-series Tiny Beautiful Things, the film Lazareth, and on Broadway in Stereophonic, a performance that earned her a Tony Award nomination.
Robinson and Lansky say that the horror genre features “really beautiful people doing bad things and being punished for them.” They want you to empathize with the characters, so when things start to go south, “it’s heartbreaking.” Robinson notes that the thread behind the story is that “you die the hero, or you live long enough to become the villain.” Fans are embracing these characters online with a lot of discussion about what really happens in the end and who is still out there to potentially return in a sequel. This movie will probably become part of pop culture, even if not a critical success. Neither was the 1997 film, and it’s now a cult favorite. Trauma affects personalities, and now a new host of characters have been traumatized, setting up the platform for further storylines. You can enjoy this film whether you are a fan of the original or you’ve never heard of it. In the end, as in many age-old tales, people pay dearly for being insensitive to others.
Wait for the plot twist at the end – don’t leave before the credits roll.
Kathryn Whitney Boole has spent most of her life in the entertainment industry, which has been the backdrop for remarkable adventures with extraordinary people. She is a Talent Manager with Studio Talent Group in Santa Monica. kboole@gmail.com
