A hook-wielding killer, a $18 million budget, and a Rotten Tomatoes score critics couldn’t agree on. Does this legacy sequel deserve the hate, or is everyone missing the point?
Quick answer
I Know What You Did Last Summer 2025 reviews are split down the middle. Critics gave it a lukewarm 36% on Rotten Tomatoes, calling it too faithful to the 1997 original. Audiences disagreed, pushing the Popcornmeter to 68%. It’s a fun, occasionally clever slasher, just not a groundbreaking one.
I watched this one on a whim with my sister, mostly because we’d rewatched the 1997 original the week before and got nostalgic. We went in expecting a cash-grab. What we got was messier than that, some genuinely fun moments, a few eye-roll-worthy ones, and a killer twist that apparently made longtime fans furious. If you’ve been scrolling through mixed reactions online and wondering what’s actually true, I’ve dug through the reviews, the box office numbers, and my own notes from watching it twice. Here’s the real breakdown.
The Rotten Tomatoes Score Tells Only Half the Story
The critics’ score landed at 36%, but the audience score sits at a much friendlier 68%. That’s a 32-point gap, which is unusually wide even for a horror sequel. Critics largely dinged the film for leaning too hard on the “too-faithful reboot plot” of the original, essentially recycling the same setup: a group of friends cover up a fatal accident, then get stalked a year later by someone who knows what they did.
Audiences, on the other hand, seemed to enjoy exactly that familiarity. My sister put it best after the credits rolled: “It’s comfort food. You know what you’re getting, and honestly, that’s fine sometimes.” I think that sums up why the audience-critic split happened. Critics wanted innovation. Fans wanted nostalgia with a fresh coat of paint, and that’s what they got.
The Returning Cast Is the Best Part, According to Nearly Every Review
Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. reprising Julie James and Ray Bronson is the one thing almost every review agrees on. Multiple critics singled out their performances as the emotional anchor of an otherwise formulaic slasher, with some calling it their best work in the franchise. There’s a twist involving one of these legacy characters that’s reportedly split the fanbase right down the middle, with some longtime fans furious about the direction it takes.
I won’t spoil it here, but I’ll say this: it’s the one moment in the movie that actually made me sit up. Everything else felt like it was going through the motions, but that particular scene had real stakes. If you grew up watching the ’97 and ’98 films like I did, that twist alone might be worth the price of admission.
The New Cast Doesn’t Quite Land, and Reviews Are Split on Who to Blame
Chase Sui Wonders and Madelyn Cline got some of the warmest praise among the new ensemble, while the male leads, Tyriq Withers and Jonah Hauer-King, were described by several reviewers as forgettable. One reviewer noted that “the boys in movie didn’t felt so good as girls,” which, typos aside, tracks with what I noticed too.
Here’s my honest take: none of the five new leads felt distinct enough from each other in the first act. It took me almost 20 minutes to remember which one was engaged to whom. That’s a pacing problem, not just a casting one.
Box Office Numbers Reveal a Rougher Opening Than the Reviews Suggest
I Know What You Did Last Summer opened to the lowest domestic debut in the franchise’s theatrical history, even before adjusting for inflation. It still managed to cross $64.8 million worldwide against an $18 million budget, which makes it profitable, just not the runaway hit Sony was probably hoping for.
For comparison, Final Destination Bloodlines pulled in over $285 million earlier the same year with a much friendlier critical reception. The gap between these two 2025 horror revivals says a lot about how much critical buzz still matters for opening weekends, even in a genre where audiences often ignore reviews entirely.
Is the Contrarian Take Right? Maybe This Movie Deserved Better Than 36%
Here’s my surprising insight: I actually think the critical score undersells the movie. A lot of reviews criticize it for being “too faithful” to the original, but I’d argue that’s exactly what the built-in fanbase wanted. Compare it to something like a needless full reboot, and I’d take faithful-but-familiar over a complete reinvention that alienates longtime fans any day.
That’s not to say it’s a great film. The dialogue aiming for Gen Z authenticity occasionally lands closer to secondhand embarrassment. But calling it a total misfire, like some reviews did, feels like it’s judging the movie against a different film than the one it’s actually trying to be.
How to Decide If This Movie Is Worth Your Time (Practical Steps)
If you’re still on the fence after all these I Know What You Did Last Summer 2025 reviews, here’s how I’d approach the decision:
- Rewatch the 1997 original first. Nostalgia does a lot of heavy lifting here, and the callbacks land much harder if the first film is fresh in your memory.
- Lower your expectations for the new cast. Go in expecting a solid B-movie ensemble, not the next generation of scream queens, and you’ll enjoy it more.
- Watch for Julie and Ray’s scenes specifically. Multiple reviews agree this is where the movie earns its emotional moments.
- Stream it rather than pay for a theater ticket if you’re on the fence. Several critics specifically noted it’s “a decent one to stream later in the year” rather than a must-see-in-theaters experience.
- Skip it if you’re hoping for genre innovation. If you loved how Scream 2022 subverted expectations, this movie plays things much safer.
FAQs
Are the I Know What You Did Last Summer 2025 reviews mostly positive or negative?
They’re mixed and notably split by audience type. Critics landed around 36% on Rotten Tomatoes, while general audiences rated it considerably higher at 68%, making it one of the more divisive horror releases of the year.
Is the 2025 movie a remake or a sequel to the original?
It’s technically a legacy sequel, not a remake. It follows a new group of characters while bringing back Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. in their original roles, similar to how recent Scream and Halloween films handled their returning stars.
Did the movie make its money back?
Yes. Against an $18 million budget, it grossed roughly $64.8 million worldwide, putting it comfortably past its estimated break-even point even with a disappointing domestic opening weekend.
Is it scary, or more of a comedy-horror hybrid?
Several reviewers noted the dialogue leans into humor more than genuine scares, with one review calling it “more comedy than horror, pure comedy.” If you’re looking for something genuinely frightening, this probably isn’t it, but if you want a fun, self-aware slasher, it delivers.
Should I watch it before or after checking the reviews?
Honestly, I’d watch it first if you’re a fan of the franchise. The reviews are so polarized that they might color your expectations unfairly in either direction, and this is a movie where your personal history with the original matters more than the critical consensus.
Conclusion
I Know What You Did Last Summer 2025 isn’t going to convert anyone who wasn’t already a fan of the franchise, and it’s not trying to. It’s a serviceable slasher with a genuinely strong emotional core thanks to its returning cast, wrapped around a new ensemble that needed a bit more room to breathe. Whether it’s worth your time really comes down to how much nostalgia you’re bringing into the theater with you.
Have you seen it yet? Drop a comment and let me know whether you’re Team Critics or Team Audience Score, I’m curious if the divide holds up outside the review aggregators too.
