Anyone wanting to understand karma, a notoriously tricky Buddhist concept, need look no further than “I Know What You Did Last Summer” (Columbia Pictures), a sequel to a 1997 film of the same name, showing now at the Montrose Playhouse. It was then, and is now, a marvellous title for a slick, tantalising, and satisfying horror film.
When I left the cinema this past Wednesday afternoon, I kept thinking about the film’s focus on the female characters and it came to me later that this must have been done with intention. Most of the unfolding plot involves the women, their on-screen relationship with each other is strong, their characters rounded and convincing. Of course, right-on-cue screams are expected by the cinema audience, and those by Madelyn Cline—playing the central role of Danica—will take some beating. They even compare well with the notoriously guttural screaming from the original.
Five wealthy twenty-something friends drink- and drug-drive after a party celebrating Danica’s engagement to Teddy in North Carolina. As a result of a prank, the driver of another vehicle loses control along the side of a steep precipice—teetering on the edge, a frantic “Italian Job” attempt at counter-balance fails, the car drops down the cliff and the man inside dies. But then the five decide to leave the scene because “This could ruin our entire lives,” and besides, Teddy’s dad will “take care of it” with the local police, whom he has in his pocket. Naturally the fact that “this” has already ruined the life of the other driver seems not cross their minds. The next summer, after Danica is sent a note proclaiming “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” a grim-reaper fisherman appears—in a black raincoat, and wielding a hook—and bodies quickly pile up. “Death is part of God’s natural order,” as a pastor puts it later on.
Danica’s best friend Ava, played by Chase Sui Wonders, is smart and likeable. As the film opens, in a very simply crafted but highly believable scene, she stands alone in front of a mirror in her vulgarly overdressed bedroom trying on outfits for the party. Later, she becomes a picture-perfect version of brainy Velma from “Scooby-Doo” (the film is sufficiently self-aware to include the line “enough of that ‘Scooby-Doo’ bullshit!”)—starting to follow clues and put two and two together. [For the Montrose amateur detectives there are lots of clues in the photographs!]
When I saw “The Friend” in April, I was very impressed with Sarah Pidgeon—using the words “cleverly” and “measured” to describe her performance in my review. The same words fit here too: she aces the role of another good secondary character, fifth-friend Stevie—I won’t reveal too much, but suffice to say her subtle talent is given an abundance of great material.
If we become invested in the women, we are totally bored by the two men (as are they). Their roles are flattened to a mere display of their strict low-carb diets at every opportunity. Fiancée Teddy, played by Tyriq Withers, is a one-dimensional, thick jock whose daddy bought him a boat as a birthday present—we have seen his tedious character far too many times in Hollywood movies already. (“People say women can’t drive” is about as sophisticated as his lines get.) Jonah Hauer-King, taking himself far too seriously as Milo, just seems confused. Perhaps replicating the charisma and magnetism of Ryan Philippe and Freddie Prinze Jr., and their capable handling of the two equivalent roles, proved too much of a challenge for the casting director.
The second act is turbocharged by the appearance of the two survivors of the similar event in 1997, played by Mr Prinze and Jennifer Love Hewitt—both are rounded, refined, talented actors. All of a sudden it feels like the game is on. A subplot about Teddy’s father making his fortune by ruthlessly scrubbing the evidence of the 1997 horror from the internet then cynically building houses all over town while property prices were low is very much believable—some politicians might celebrate this as a smart get-rich strategy. Ms Hewitt’s role is to add weight and logical order to the plot by acting as a sleuth coach to the girls, “You can’t run, you can’t hide. Get them before they get you.” Meanwhile suave Mr Prinze doesn’t waste his time with the hapless guys—his role is rather to look outwards from his successful bar and confuse the audience, “they tried to erase us.” Both are a joy to watch.
The quietly competent filmmaking needed to pull off a successful horror movie like this is very much on display. The music starts with upbeat songs played loudly, but as the intensity of the horror increases, ominous classical strings take over (it’s a nice touch that the names of the individual musicians are listed in the closing credits). A good example of a masterful scene is from early on. Danica is in the bath upstairs while her new fiancée (it’s complicated!) is downstairs being murdered. She is listening to an AI-voice guided meditation saying things like, “In this moment of absolute calm,” or “Gently exhale.” Meanwhile the fiancée is being chased around their perfect kitchen, finally bludgeoned to death with that hook. As she walks downstairs, all zen after her meditation, the music is the “Wedding March,” played on the organ just like at a marriage ceremony—a deft, inspired detail which lifts the scene beyond ordinary. And there are loads of funny props in the rather obviously rigged sets, such as a cage which drops from the ceiling to catch Ava, again classic “Scooby-Doo.” Oh, and there’s even a creepy scene in a graveyard. It’s all enormously good fun.
Two 15-rated movies arrive at the Playhouse this weekend. This one qualifies for its rating with continuous light horror threat and some scenes involving that hook, but nothing here will disturb Montrose audience members very much. It’s really not a film to be taken too seriously.
Light, perfectly paced, rewardingly twisty, reliably absorbing, “I Know What You Did Last Summer” expertly delivers exactly what it says on the tin. Our past actions cause our future experiences, after all: “Everything‘s going to be okay.” “Are you sure?” “No.”
Adam Poole
24th July 2025
If you are interested in viewing this screening, please book your tickets here
