I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) review – So bad it’s good?

Welcome to Knockout Horror. Last year, we checked out the late 90’s slasher movie I Know What You Did Last Summer. It seemed only right to follow up this year with the 1998 sequel – I Still Know What You Did Last Summer. Particularly after the series was revived this year with the release of the self titled legacy sequel.

Back for Another Summer Scare

Let’s be perfectly honest, this movie was absolutely panned back on release. It currently sits at a lousy 10% Rotten rating on Rotten Tomatoes and it only has a 4.8/10 IMDb user score. The preceding movie really wasn’t all that great either but the sequel seemed to do just about every possible thing wrong.

“Despite the obvious pivot away from characters that didn’t make it out of the first movie. ISKWYDLS retains some serious star power with Brandy and Phifer.”

It only returned a couple of members of the original cast, director Jim Gillespie and writer Kevin Williamson (Scream) were replaced by Danny Cannon and Trey Callaway, and the plot was far thinner and less ambitious.

The story follows the survivor of the first movie, Julie (Jennifer Love Hewitt), as she tries to return to normal life. After winning a radio station competition for a trip to Barbados over the July 4th weekend. Julie, once again, finds herself in a fight for her life against a hook wielding maniac who still knows what she did last summer.

We do see the return of Ray (Freddie Prinze Jr.) but in something of a side role. Julie is now accompanied by best friend and roommate Karla (Brandy Norwood), Karla’s love interest Tyrell (Mekhi Phifer), and their awkward friend Will (Matthew Settle). Despite the obvious pivot away from characters that didn’t make it out of the first movie. ISKWYDLS retains some serious star power with Brandy and Phifer.

It’s the same slasher with a different vibe

It’s more of the same, basically, and that is usually a good formula when it comes to slasher movies. I Still Know What You Did Last Summer avoids the preamble as the backstory is already well established.

It thins out the plot and takes the cast away to a sunny holiday location. Only, it’s not sunny at all. The resort is right at the beginning of monsoon season so the initially bright backdrop suddenly turns very gloomy and rain soaked.

Needless to say, this movie feels distinctly different from its predecessor. The tropical location offers some unique scenery and the small town vibe of the original is almost completely gone. Weirdly enough however, there’s much more of an intimate feeling here that seems kind of atypical for a slasher.

Since it is rainy season, the resort is pretty much abandoned. That means that our main-cast are all alone aside from a few staff members and an uncredited Jack Black playing an obnoxious, dread-lock wearing stoner.

Consequently, there’s far less people to become victims and far less faces for Julie to be suspicious of. Naturally, it isn’t long before the hook wielding killer shows up. The prevailing mystery here, however, is who the hell is responsible?

After all, Julie and Ray wiped the original maniac out the year before. Ray, who didn’t actually accompany Julie on the trip, soon sets about catching up with her as he quickly learns that something is seriously wrong.

More gore, more gags, more… gazing?

I Still Know What You Did Last Summer turns the dial up on some of the stuff that made the original movie so popular. The kills are a bit more interesting, the mystery element has a couple more layers, and the humour is more prevalent. Jack Black, for example, is there purely to bring a few laughs to keep things enjoyable when people aren’t being splayed in half. There are a few points that made me laugh quite a lot, actually.

“Hewitt’s outfits range from minimal boob coverage to almost completely out and her level of jiggle ranges from ‘quite a lot’ to ‘that must be quite painful’.”

The most noticeable thing of all might be the increased level of thigh staring of its insanely gorgeous lead Jennifer Love Hewitt. Whereas the first movie was a bit cheeky with down blouse shots and the occasional bit of cleavage. This movie is legitimately lecherous.

Hewitt’s outfits range from minimal boob coverage to almost completely out and her level of jiggle ranges from “quite a lot” to “that must be quite painful”. It’s fairly gratuitous to be honest though it had my fiancée in fits of giggles. I imagine modern attitudes to this will be either shocked or amused at how on the nose it is.

She throws on a soaking white robe when she gets out of the shower, in one scene. It is legitimately presented like a wet t-shirt contest. Another scene sees the camera pan slowly down her body as she strips to a bikini. It’s hard not to feel a bit sorry for her as she was never comfortable with being a sex symbol. Needless to say, this is one of the elements that made the original popular so it is doubled down on.

So bad, it’s… better?

Everything else here is cliche, slasher trope city. There’s nothing original at all. The plot is completely ridiculous, too. I can’t elaborate for fear of spoiling a near 30 year old film. But the lengths the killer goes to are absolutely ridiculous. It completely defies any kind of logic and speaks to the silliness of slasher movies, as a whole.

“I have no clue why, despite how obviously bad it is. I still enjoyed I Still Know What You Did Last Summer quite a lot more than the original. It’s baffling!”

I have no clue why, despite how obviously bad it is. I still enjoyed I Still Know What You Did Last Summer quite a lot more than the original. It’s baffling! I can’t even really put it into words but I will give it a go. It’s a little bit tighter than the original thanks to the plot being so damn thin. It doesn’t try to explore multiple different alleyways and angles, it just gets to the killing. The small cast feels more suited to slasher tension and I enjoyed the silliness of it all, for some reason. The lighter moments actually made me chuckle.

I think it’s supported by some better performances, as well. Hewitt feels a lot more natural in this movie. She’s really at ease with the character, good with the physical stuff, and really natural throughout. Mehki Phifer is decent, Prinze Jr. is fine, Jack Black is over the top fun, and even side characters like Jennifer Esposito and Bill Cobbs bring a little something. It feels like this sequel doesn’t take itself anywhere near as seriously as the original.

I mean, don’t get me wrong, I am not saying it is a good movie. Hell, it’s not even a good slasher but I did enjoy it more than I probably should have. It’s a fun throwback to proper 90s horror, right down to the now questionable titillation aspect. It almost makes you miss when slasher movies didn’t try so hard. It keeps its tongue in its cheek throughout and the kills are fun enough to keep things interesting.

Our Scoring Philosophy: A Fair Fight

Horror is a genre that thrives thanks to indie film makers and low budget creators. At Knockout Horror, we firmly believe that every movie that we review deserves a fair fight. That's why we grade on a curve. Our star ratings are all about context, judging a film on what it achieves with the resources it has.

A 4-star rating for a scrappy indie horror made for $10,000 is a testament to its ingenuity and raw power. A 4-star rating for a $100 million blockbuster means it delivered on its epic promises. We don't compare them side-by-side; we celebrate success in every weight class, from the back-alley brawler to the heavyweight champion. Please keep this in mind when considering star ratings.

Support the Site Knockout Horror is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. Basically, if you click a link to rent or buy a movie, we may earn a tiny commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This helps keep the lights on and the nightmares coming. Don't worry, we will never recommend a movie purely to generate clicks. If it's bad, we will tell you.

Disclaimer: Images, posters, and video stills used in this review are the property of their respective copyright holders. They are included here for the purposes of commentary, criticism, and review under fair use. Knockout Horror makes no claim of ownership and encourages readers to support the official release of all films discussed.