I Know What You Did Last Summer - The Requel

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I Know What You Did Last Summer first arrived on the big screen back in 1997, nearly 30 years ago. The film that helped launch the careers of some of my favorite actors of the time. Most notably, a certain Sarah Michelle Gellar. She was like 60% of the reason I went and see the first one. As a fan of Buffy, had to go see it, plus I was starting to get into horror movies. The slasher resurgence, thanks in part to Scream, was continuing.

The first one was a decent slasher movie. Was not a fan of SMG getting killed. Not just because she's Buffy, but because of how it happened. She was fine and safe, just a few steps to a large crowded area...then she heard a noise and turned around. And being a horror movie, you know what came next.

Barry (Ryan Phillipe) was a bit of a tool in it. Angry, little violent and bit of a drunk. Considering the situation, you understand the alcohol. Freddie Prinze as Ray was good. He was likeable, charming and protective of Jennifer Love Hewitt's Julie James...the Final Girl of this horror movie.

She led the investigation into figuring out who was after them. She's smart, resourceful and stronger than she knew.

Sequel...not so great. Fun for what it was. Killer from the first, not so much dead and an elaborate trap for Julie and her friends at a Mexico resort. Tiny island of death with only Julie and her friend Karla (Brandy) surviving, thanks to Ray arriving on the island to help.

Fast forward to the requel (reboot/sequel)...same world, new characters, and a few familiar faces.

This time its a group of five that have the killer fisherman with a hook.

It's the Fourth of July...again. Southport is now more fancy and less the fishing village it once was. The town has buried the murders from the first movie and has become quite the tourist spot.

Our main gal, Ava Brooks, is in town from college for her best friends engagement party, Danica Richards and Teddy Spencer. While there she has a moment or two with he ex-boyfriend Milo Griffin.

They leave the party with an old friend, Stevie Ward, who just recently got out of rehab, to go see the fireworks. Remember that dangerous curvy road? 30 years and they still haven't thought to put a lower speed limit on that. Cause going fast on a road where you can't see around corners easily, by all means GO FAST!

The group of five are parked off the side of the road and standing in the middle of the road when a truck comes speeding down the road. He swerves to miss Teddy and crashes into the edge of the cliff. It tips and the group tries to help, but big truck on the edge, physics was not on their side. Truck tumbles down and crashes. Instead of really trying to help, police is called and Teddy calls his dad to make all of it go away. They were never there. Manslaughter hidden.

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It goes the same way as before. Ava (Julie replacement) wants to go down and help. Tell the cops what happened, but Teddy threatens her and everyone kind of wants to leave and pretend it never happened. But the past, never stays buried for long.

A year later, the trauma of what happened affecting every one of them. Ava has self destructive tendencies, Teddy and Danica have split up (like Barry and Helen), and Milo is just living his life. Stevie is handling it somewhat thanks to the help of her boss...Ray from the first movie.

Ava decides to return to Southport one year later for Danica's bridal shower. Yep, in the span of a year, she broke up with Teddy, met a new guy, and got engaged again. On the way, Ava hooks up with a woman in the airplane, who she later learns is headed to Southport herself. She's a true crime blogger and she's doing a podcast on the murders that took place in 1997.

The notes, the stalkings begin. Ava takes the lead for this Scooby gang to uncover who is stalking them and killing one by one. She goes to the one person who's been through this to help her...Julie James.

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She tells her to dig into the past of the person who died and someone connected to them is your killer.

Ray makes an appearance about half way in during a town hall meeting. The murders are increasing and tourist season is here. The town wants to bury it again, but Ray is not having it.

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The group dwindles one by one, people in their lives and the ones that are helping them find the killer. The podcaster dies in the same building Helen once escaped for her life and a cemetery groundskeeper is killed for showing them who laid flowers on the grave of the person the killed.

The killer reveal makes sense, but at the same time doesn't. You look back at everything you've seen, trying to realize the why of all of it and in a funny way, it makes complete sense why they're doing what they're doing.

The movie itself isn't terrible, but it's not the best either. I was trying to figure out who the killer was. I'm disappointed I didn't figure it out sooner, but I did have that lighting moment of realization before it was actually revealed. So, I figured it out RIGHT before it was completely revealed.

The turn was brilliant and also heart-breaking.

It was good to see the familiar faces. Even Sarah Michelle Gellar returns in a brief appearance in a nightmare sequence. There were a number of easter eggs having you go...

And they're obviously hoping for a sequel.

Once the killer is stopped, our heroes safe, we get a mid-credits scene with Brandy aka Karla from I Still Know who is watching the news about the killings in Southport. A knock on her door reveals Julie! She got a letter with a photo of the two of them from college.

Its not over yet.

I was a teen when these originals came out. Didn't watch the series or the direct to DVD sequel, but did follow Love's journey as Julie James. I enjoy horror movies for the fun, the spectacle. With movies like this, I enjoy the mystery element. Trying to figure out who's hiding behind the mask or in this case, slicker hat.

These are made for a particular audience and are just for fun. Nothing more. It taps into something in all of us. The fight or flight response. You ponder what you'd do if you were in those situations.

The movie has the right amount of twists and turns to keep you invested and seeing the old leads usher in the new generation hits the right nostalgia button. It's a good time if you loved the other movies and a classic horror scenario.

Fun and enjoyable time for this horror lover.

3.5/5