Independence Day means the birth of America’s liberty from Great Britain; and if you’re a resident of Southport, North Carolina, a day that eventually leads to pure terror for an unfortunate number of residents. On July 4th,1996, friends Julie (Jennifer Love Hewitt), Ray (Freddie Prinze Jr.), Helen (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and Barry covered up the suspected death of a man, vowing never to speak of it again. Exactly one year later, they were stalked by a person dressed in a slicker who used a hook to kill. Only Julie and Ray survived.

In present day, friends Ava (Chase Sui Wonders), Milo (Jonah Hauer-King), and Stevie (Sarah Pidgeon) reunite to celebrate the engagement of Danica (Madelyn Cline). One year prior on July 4th, they along with now-estranged-from-group Teddy (Tyriq Withers) caused a young adult to swerve off the road and suffer mortal injuries. They too vowed to never speak of that day, but at the engagement party, a letter stating “I Know What You Did Last Summer” is opened by Danica. Not long after, the bloodshed begins, and the group, with no choice, turns to past survivors Julie and Ray to figure out how they survived and what clues can be determined to identify who is terrorizing them.

I Know What You Did Last Summer will always be inextricably linked with Scream. Both slasher movies, penned by writer Kevin Williamson, released within a year of each other. But whereas Scream has maintained a steady presence since 1996 in pop culture because of the general quality of the movies, a notable MTV series that lasted three seasons, and the legendary status of Ghostface as a horror antagonist, “IKWYDLS” can’t say the same. The first is solid fun and fits well in the annals of 90’s slasher horror, but the follow ups are forgettable and a recent Amazon Prime reboot only lasted one season. In many ways, I Know What You Did Last Summer has and will always be in the shadow of Scream, and with a pretty weak requel carrying the same title of the 1997 original, it’s doubtful that will change anytime soon.

Shuttling us back through Southport is co-writer/director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson. There’s nothing inherently bad about how the film looks (yet it’s a little weird that none of it was filmed in North Carolina), and Robinson puts together a stellar sequence with a not-too-surprising cameo that will not be spoiled here. However, most of the direction is by-the-numbers, hitting many of the same sequences of the first installment that were done better there. Unfortunately, IKWYDLS lacks energy and creativity in the kills department when compared to recent revitalized slashers like Halloween, Scream 5, and even Candyman.

Exploring trauma and how individuals choose to deal with or repress it is a theme many horror movies have broached in the past 10-15 years, and the latest I Know What You Did Last Summer is no different. Here, it’s the link between the 90’s features and this one. Robinson and her co-writer Sam Lansky set up the driving (pun intended) event fine enough, even as there’s the valid nitpick that the young adults—as dumb as their behaviors are —aren’t responsible for the tragedy. From here though, the script is less effective when it comes to creating people worth investing in, with a part of that being dialogue that can be rough to listen to, including an ill-intended line at the end that’s dense within the context of the movie, and kind of callous outside of it with the joking tone the characters use to deliver it. In a cast of weak characters, Cline and Withers do stand out as the two that carry the most chemistry as lovers and friends, and I’m intrigued to see how the latter shows up in HIM later this year.

The final 15 minutes definitely qualify as a bold decision on the part of the writers, but it’s a decision that feels inherently focused on shock value and preceded by some weird actions that don’t make a ton of sense when thinking about it on the way home, in addition to a flimsy motive. Sure, I Know What You Did Last Summer doesn’t have a storied legacy compared to other horror franchises, but to see it completely do away with what the first two movies established in the way of character dynamics and past character choices is a chaotic 180.

“What are you waiting for?” exclaims Julie in nearly every I Know What You Did Last Summer film. While the end of this feature clearly sets up another installment (I Know What You Did Last Summer To Me is right there), it’s hard to envision franchise fans eagerly awaiting another theatrical sequel.

D+

Photo credits go to slashfilm.com, impawards.com, screenrant.com, and people.com.