When I STILL KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER splashed onto cinema screens, post-SCREAM, I was there for it. Back then, it felt like the perfect blend of thrills and cheesy fun you’d expect from a studio teen slasher sequel. Honestly, I didn’t realize it actually underperformed its predecessor at the box office, despite a bigger budget. But 1998 was a different beast. Home video was king for horror, a haven where sequels could thrive, and I Still Know What You Did Last Summer definitely earned its direct-to-video follow-up.
The late 90s had a unique vibe for horror. It was almost like a guilty pleasure, even with star-studded casts and decent budgets. Critics championed SCREAM, but a goofier sequel to SCREAM‘s more traditional cousin? Probably not their cup of tea. But who cares what they thought? I Still Know What You Did Last Summer is a genuinely enjoyable slasher sequel. Not in a “best horror movie ever” way, but in that perfect franchise slasher mode: taking a familiar formula, adding some fun twists, and delivering a mix of cool and hilariously dumb moments that make it endlessly rewatchable. That’s exactly what I wanted, and it delivered in spades.
This time around, we’ve got a new creative team. Kevin Williamson, the mastermind behind the original, was busy with TEACHING MRS. TINGLE, Dawson’s Creek, THE FACULTY, and HALLOWEEN H20. The screenplay duties fell to Trey Callaway, known for Timon & Pumbaa and later Supernatural and CSI: NY. Early buzz even mentioned Stephen Gaghan, who later snagged an Oscar for TRAFFIC and directed SYRIANA. Directing duties went to Danny Cannon, the name forever linked to 1995’s JUDGE DREDD. More recently, he even handled reshoots for GEOSTORM. This eclectic bunch picked up the story of Julie James (Jennifer Love Hewitt, GARFIELD) and Ray Bronson (Freddie Prinze Jr., SHE’S ALL THAT), survivors from the first film.
Remember the ending of I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER? Ben Willis, the seemingly deceased killer fisherman (Muse Watson, FROM DUSK TILL DAWN 2: TEXAS BLOOD MONEY), bursts through a shower door to attack Julie. I Still Know What You Did Last Summer cleverly reveals this was a nightmare, kicking off with a similar scene where Julie is confessing her sins in church, only for the priest to morph into the fisherman. What I appreciate about this opening is Julie’s confession: “I killed a man,” and it was “a terrible accident.” In the first movie, the guilt stemmed from Ray’s hit-and-run, believing they’d killed someone. They later discovered he survived and sought revenge. This time, the “terrible accident” refers to the incident where the fisherman got tangled in rigging, losing his hand and falling overboard. It adds a layer of complexity – Julie isn’t just haunted by the fear of his return, but also by the guilt of her self-defense.
Echoing the NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET films, Julie jolts awake from her nightmare, screaming in her poli-sci summer school class in Boston. Mortifying. A kind classmate named Will (Matthew Settle, OUIJA) rushes to comfort her, but he’s just a friend. She’s still with Ray, who arrives to drive her home for the 4th of July celebrations, only to be met with Julie’s hesitation, “some part of me hasn’t healed up enough to go back.”
Seriously, dude? It’s only been a year! Their two best friends were brutally murdered! And he’s casually suggesting they relive the same holiday for “fun”? Talk about boyfriend of the year – in the worst way possible. Definitely needs therapy. His excuse? Probably something about being a fisherman and “no time for feelings.”
Out of nowhere, Julie’s roommate and best friend Karla (Brandy, OSMOSIS JONES) gets a radio call announcing she’s won an all-expenses-paid trip for four to a Bahamas resort. Ray is predictably flaky about work and bails, so the group becomes Karla, her boyfriend Tyrell (Mekhi Phifer, CLOCKERS), Julie, and, much to Julie’s discomfort (since he’s clearly smitten), Will.
Unbeknownst to them, Ray actually was planning to go. En route, he stumbles upon a deserted car and a “body” in the road. Mannequin alert! Then, BAM! The fisherman (now rocking a legit hook hand) attacks, trying to run him down (Ray escapes by falling down a hill, naturally). So, Ray ends up in the hospital. Oh, and he was going to propose. This guy’s decision-making skills and luck are equally terrible. Anyway, a suspenseful element kicks in: we know the fisherman is back, and Ray, in true heroic-idiot fashion, escapes the hospital, pawns his engagement ring for a gun, and sets course for the Bahamas. If JAWS: THE REVENGE taught us anything – and it taught us many things – it’s that a vengeful, water-based killer will follow you to the Bahamas.
The first film thrived on its gloomy, small-town fishing atmosphere. I Still Know What You Did Last Summer smartly flips the script, plunging Julie into the bright, sunny Bahamas. For a while, it’s all about vibrant colors, less blue, more yellow. The brief scene in Southport, her hometown, is visually stunning, but even there, the sun shines brightly. Then, plot twist! July 4th is the start of hurricane season in the Bahamas, plunging the island into torrential rain – another stark contrast to the first movie. Julie even gets a rain-soaked redo of her iconic spinning-and-screaming scene.
Adding to the shift in tone is a much more dramatic score by John Frizzell (ALIEN: RESURRECTION, TEXAS CHAINSAW 3D, LEATHERFACE). Think booming low brass and screeching violins – a more classical, bombastic approach.
I hadn’t seen this movie since its theatrical release. My strongest memory was a delightful surprise: an uncredited Jack Black (THE JACKAL) as Titus, a dreadlocked, weed-dealing islander with a questionable accent. I remembered his dying words, “It’s all good,” but forgot the cartoonish moment where the fisherman pauses, comically choosing between an axe, a sledgehammer, gardening shears, and a whole arsenal of deadly tools conveniently leaning against a wall. Pure gold.
Arriving at the resort, a thought struck me: “Isn’t Jeffrey Combs in this?” Sure enough, there he is, playing the hotel’s unfriendly manager, channeling the grumpy vibes of the antagonist from FALLING DOWN. A fantastic addition to the cast.
What I didn’t recall was John Hawkes (SCARY MOVIE [1991], FROM DUSK TILL DAWN) as Ray’s coworker. He gets a few lines before getting a hook to the chin and yanked out of a car window – a kill that’s arguably better than anything in the first movie. Bonus points for Mark Boone Junior, always a welcome presence, even as a pawn shop guy who, thankfully, doesn’t get murdered this time. And a cameo by Elvis Presley’s buddy, Red West!
One common criticism, because apparently horror movies shouldn’t be fun or absurd, is the ridiculous premise: the “all-expenses-paid vacation” is a fake contest, part of an elaborate revenge plot. People love to mock the fact that it takes them almost the entire movie to realize their winning answer to “What is the capital of Brazil?” was actually wrong. But honestly… that’s hilarious! It adds to the movie’s charm, not detracts from it. Taking out that element of goofy fun would make it less enjoyable.
Yes, it’s an over-the-top revenge scheme to lure the target and some innocent bystanders to a remote island. But that’s perfectly fine, because ridiculousness works here. This is a movie, after all, and yes, there is a Mekhi Phifer. The flimsy explanation? Ben Willis used to work at the resort, and his wife is buried nearby. But honestly, “he wanted to trap them on a sunny beach during a hurricane and murder them” would have been just as acceptable.
It’s a classic slasher sequel trope to give the killer more backstory, like Freddy’s mother Amanda Krueger, or his abusive father figure Alice Cooper, or his secret daughter Lisa Zane. Here, we learn Ben Willis didn’t just snap after his daughter’s death. He was already a murderer, having killed his wife previously.
And there’s a funny red herring involving voodoo. The hotel porter Estes (Bill Cobbs, THE PEOPLE UNDER THE STAIRS) steals Julie’s toothbrush and other items, making us think he’s performing a ritual for sinister purposes. But turns out, he knows Ben Willis is evil and is trying to cast a protection spell to stop him.
I appreciate that the Fisherman isn’t a copycat, like in FRIDAY THE 13TH: A NEW BEGINNING. It’s the same guy, just as everyone assumes. The big twist? Ben Willis has a son. Who’s totally on board with his murderous lifestyle. This reveal (SPOILER ALERT), that awkward nice guy Will is actually a psycho in disguise, is probably the weakest part. I guess it’s slightly more plausible that he reprogrammed the karaoke machine to taunt Julie than hook-hand himself. And it’s very SCREAM-sequel-esque, needing a meta twist to feel contemporary. (By the way, the soundtrack features songs by Jennifer Love Hewitt and Bijou Phillips, but, oddly, no Brandy).
I Still Know What You Did Last Summer boasts a higher body count than the original (lots of unfortunate resort guests bite the dust), is definitely bloodier (Candyman-style hook impalements!), and features some inventive horror and action sequences: zip-tying Julie in a tanning bed, Karla’s precarious greenhouse roof walk, breaking through a windowed door to save Karla from the approaching fisherman. Julie gets to be more proactive this time, wielding knives and axes. My only minor horror gripes? They tease Karla using her kickboxing skills against the fisherman but never deliver, and there’s a Chekhov’s Doberman that’s menacing in the lobby but then vanishes.
Here’s a bizarre detail I only noticed watching these movies back-to-back: in both films, Julie has a supportive Black friend who pushes her to get a tan. In the first, it’s Deb (Rasool Jahan, COLD MOUNTAIN), who famously says, “Julie, get your white as death, chalky corpse in the car now… you’re going home for the summer and you’re going to get a tan on that pasty pale tail of yours.” And upon dropping her off, “Remember, sun and fun.” Here, Karla encourages Julie to enjoy the sun, and later, ironically, orders her into the tanning bed during the storm. Is this some strange recurring stereotype?
What is a blatant stereotype is Tyrell, the perpetually horny boyfriend. Phifer is good in the role, and there’s humor in his frustration at not getting alone time with Karla (and dealing with Julie’s constant trauma), but the character definitely lacks depth. At least there’s a funny moment where Julie, feeling lonely, hears Karla and Tyrell seemingly getting intimate next door, only for the scene to cut to their room and reveal Karla just excitedly jumping on the giant bed.
I hate to be a buzzkill, but during Ray’s road trip to the Bahamas, he and his buddy have a spirited Whitesnake singalong, with Ray completely distracted from driving. Seriously? This is less than two years after running someone over and barely a year after that incident led to his friends’ murders. Ray is just not a responsible person. But somehow, he comes off as cooler than in the first film, sporting stitches and battle scars, stealing a boat at gunpoint, and single-handedly navigating stormy seas to rescue Julie at the last minute.
Julie might be the only “Final Girl” to belt out “I Will Survive” in a horror movie. And arguably, she does! Except for the classic horror movie fake-out ending – “oh shit, he’s still alive!” – right before the credits roll. And she didn’t return for the DTV sequel, so maybe singing “I Will Survive” in a horror movie is just tempting fate.
