Summary
Although horror movies and fall go together perfectly (along with crunchy leaves and pumpkins), it’s also nice to sit in an air-conditioned theater and check out the latest slasher. As a fan of the horror subgenre, and ’90s slashers in particular, I couldn’t wait to see the reboot ofI Know What You Did Last Summer. Unfortunately,the movie is disappointingasit’s not scary, the characters aren’t compelling, and the premise is too similar to the ’90s film. WhenIKWYDLSwas released in 1997, it followed the excitement surroundingthe firstScreammovie, which impressed audiences in 1996 with its meta humor and memorable Ghostface killer. The reboot has some nostalgic moments, but it’s nowhere near as fun as the original.
As a Mike Flanagan fan, I was thrilled to hear that he was working on his ownI Know What You Did Last Summermovie. Sadly, it didn’t work out, but I can’t stop wondering what that movie would have looked like.
Mike Flanagan planned to direct a newI Know What You Did Last Summerand Jeffrey Howard was going to write the script. Howard toldBloody Disgustingthat they had some meetings with Original Film, the production company founded by Neil Moritz, who produced the original movie. As Howard explained, one executive said, “As long as it thematically fits in with the title, and that kind of world, you’re able to just make up whatever you want.”
Howard continued:
“We wanted to build something that was like an Agatha Christie… almost more stage play versions of Agatha Christie that she wrote and was in charge of, which were just really fun whodunit entertainments about the classic collection of people put into a bad experience.”
Bloody Disgusting explained that Howard’sI Know What You Did Last Summerscreenplay wasabout four friends in Antigua whose lives are changed when a woman named Christie goes missing. Matt is put in prison for the crime, and after he’s released, he gets messages like the ones inthe original slasher movie. There is also a true crime podcast about the case.
I think this story sounds great, and it would have been a lot more compelling than theI Know What You Did Last Summerreboot in theaters now. As long asthe killer uses a hook like in the ’90s film, I’m fine with any big changes being made.I like that Flanagan and Howard wanted to do something different with the story instead of making another dull remake.The biggest problem with the 2025 film is how closely it tries to follow the original. But it lacks the memorable and well-crafted characters of the 1997 film. The reboot features awkward dialogue, Gen Z stereotypes, and a generic setting. There’s not much to write home about here.
As a huge fan ofFlanagan’s work, including his Netflix horror showslikeThe Haunting of Hill HouseandMidnight Mass, I think he was the right filmmaker to take on a newI Know What You Did Last Summer. Flanagan is well-versed intelling moving, scary, and supernatural stories about young adult characters.His2022 series,The Midnight Club,is a funny and emotional look at how people can learn to accept the reality of death. The filmmaker’s slasher reboot would no doubt be smarter and more memorable than the 2025 version.
I love the originalI Know What You Did Last Summerbecause ofits corny dialogue and 1990s vibe, but I also appreciate the character arcs.Final girl Julie Jamesand Helen Shivers are haunted by their trauma, and it’s sad to see how miserable they are in the year following the inciting incident. The 2025 reboot doesn’t dive deeply enough into how the characters are affected by the accident. Flanagan would have examined this experience in detail, and it would have been fascinating.
Mike Flanagan’s Carrie Plans Prove He Would Have Made A Great I Know What You Did Last Summer Reboot
Mike Flanagan has the same plan for his TV adaptation of Stephen King’sCarrieas he did for hisI Know What You Did Last Summer:focus on a new story that isn’t exactly like the original.Flanagan said “we’re not retelling the story"in an interview and also shared that his TV series will incorporate social media in an engaging way.
I like that Flanagan takes this approach to adaptations: figure out the heart of the story and then add something fresh. It’s the right move, especially when he’s working onan epic story like King’sThe Dark Tower. I wish that Flanagan had gotten the chance to makeI Know What You Did Last Summerand I’ll always be curious about what that film would have looked like.
