In a surprising twist, upcoming horror reboot I Know What You Did Last Summer has debuted to overwhelmingly positive first reactions, proving the bad horror remake curse can be broken.
Although the film has yet to land a Rotten Tomatoes score, I Know What You Did Last Summer had its world premiere in Los Angeles on July 14, and attendees and other early screener guests have been sharing their reactions online.
Many have been praising the movie for being a great legacy sequel and respecting the 1997 original. "I was living for every wicked legacy callback," said Nerdtropolis writer Sean Tajipour. " Know What You Did Last Summer totally honors the original while carving out something fresh, fun, and scary thanks to a killer young cast."
Similarly, We Live Entertainment’s Scott Menzel wrote, "I Know What You Did Last Summer is the perfect legacy sequel and everything the new Scream movies should have been but weren’t," adding, "it builds upon the lore of the original with some key updates… I’m so happy to see a film that actually delivers on exactly what it promises."
Others are commenting on how the new stars shine, despite the original movie’s cast being so iconic and seemingly hard to top. "I literally left the theater saying I wanted to see it again immediately," said Den of Geek writer Sophia Soto, "The cast was phenomenal, new and returning. They all worked so well off of each other."
Check out more reactions below.
This movie is so good lawdd fans are about to lose their minds! #IKnowWhatYouDidLastSummer pic.twitter.com/rN8Dp0GChlJuly 15, 2025
#IKnowWhatYouDidLastSummer is one of the greatest legacy sequels! With excellent kills, a thrilling pace & a fantastic ensemble, notably Love Hewitt & Prinze Jr. who DELIVERED some of the best parts of the movie.It's undeniably a perfect summer slasher classic.AVOID SPOILERS! pic.twitter.com/uefG207bwyJuly 15, 2025
I Know What You Did Last Summer’s success so far has come as a bit of a shock, as so often horror remakes fail to meet to mark of their predecessors. However, there have been films that live up to, or even surpass, the original version, like IT (2017), The Thing (1982), and dare we say The Hills Have Eyes (2006). Even the 2003 movie Texas Chainsaw Massacre acts as a worthy remake of Tobe Hooper’s original classic.
However, it is important to note that the new movie is not a remake but rather a reboot or a long overdue sequel, if you will. The original movie, starring Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, and Freddie Prinze Jr., follows four teens who are stalked by a hook-wielding maniac exactly one year after they hit and run a man. The sequel, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, followed in 1998.
The 2025 version follows a similar premise. Set 27 years after the original, another hook-wielding killer appears and begins targeting a new group, you guessed it, one year after they 'killed' someone with their car. The new movie stars Madelyn Cline, Chase Sui Wonders, Jonah Hauer-King, Tyriq Withers, Sarah Pidgeon, Billy Campbell, Gabbriette Bechtel, Austin Nichols, and welcomes back Prinze Jr. and Hewitt.
I Know What You Did Last Summer hits theaters on July 18. For more, keep up with other upcoming horror movies heading your way.
